


I Want You To Want Me

by CynicalScorpio



Category: Pitch Perfect (2012)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-08
Updated: 2016-04-01
Packaged: 2018-01-11 13:42:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 16
Words: 28,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1173741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CynicalScorpio/pseuds/CynicalScorpio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set post Pitch Perfect, Beca and Chloe decide to take action when Stacie and Aubrey, who are clearly into each other, refuse to admit it or act on it. But true love is not an easy road and jealousy, exes, disapproving family and more await both Stacie and Aubrey and Chloe and Beca. Will the two couples make it to the end?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Devil Delight

1: Devil Delight

"Damn it Chloe! How could you do this to me?!" Aubrey looked at her best friend, pacing their dorm room as she shot Chloe dirty looks. Despite receiving death glares from Aubrey, Chloe could not stop smiling. It wasn't often she was able to pull one over her best friend. The smiling irked Aubrey even more. "This is not funny!"

Chloe couldn't hold back a laugh. "Yeah it is" she said when she had regained somewhat of her composure. Her best friend groaned and sat down on the edge of her bed.

"I hate blind dates" she muttered as she reached behind her to untie and retie her pony-tail.

Chloe sighed. "Yes Aubrey. I'm fully aware that you do not like blind dates. Or anything else that could result in you having fun."

Scowling she looked at the redhead. "I can have fun!"

"Outside of the Bellas, what do you do that is for fun?"

Aubrey's mouth opened, closed, opened again then she shook her head, grabbing some text books. "I'm going to be late" she muttered as she lugged them into her arms, keys in her free hand.

Standing from the desk Chloe said "so you'll go?"

Letting out an exasperated sigh Aubrey asked "do I have a choice?"

Chloe grinned brightly. "Nope." Sighing again Aubrey headed out the door and to her class. "Yes!" Chloe exclaimed followed by a pump of a fist in the air before she grabbed her phone.

"So...how mad is she?" the freshman asked, leaning outside the radio station, on her break from the never-ending cd-stacking.

"She'll calm down" Chloe said reassuringly. "Just have to give her space."

"But she was mad?" Beca said again, not wanting to admit she was concerned about both of their well-beings after pulling this stunt on Aubrey.

"Yes but really don't worry everything will be fine."

Beca snorted. "Famous last words. I'll make sure that's on our tombstones when she kills us."

Chloe laughed. "Beca chill. Besides I had the hard part in telling her about the blind date and getting her to go. So, how'd it go on your end?"

"Fine. Everything's a go and nothing is suspected. How about Aubrey? She suspect anything?"

"No she was too busy being mad to wonder about who."

"Once again she is going to kill us."

Even though she couldn't see it Chloe was grinning on the other side of the phone. "Don't worry I'll make sure your name is kept out of it. Besides this was my idea."

"That it was" Beca said making Chloe laugh, her own following it.

"And I'm right about this."

"Oh you are now?"

"I know Aubrey better than she knows herself. I'm right about this."

"Alright. See you tonight."

"Yep see ya tonight."

That night was a formal farewell to the Bellas now that the season was officially over. Yes it was bittersweet coming back and winning it all, especially for Aubrey. She was there before anyone else, having rented out a back room at a local and somewhat trendy club. She was almost grateful when Chloe showed up, even if she was still deeply annoyed at her. One by one the rest of the Bellas came in, Beca and Stacie being the last to arrive. In a lot of ways it reminded Aubrey of hood night only the reverse was happening now. "Weird huh? No more Bella practice." She let her eyes drift to Chloe biding her time.

"Yes it is. But they'll be in good hands."

"Indeed they will be." Chloe flashed Aubrey a grin that she just had to return. There were no speeches, no heartfelt farewells and in a way that was okay with the two seniors.

"This does not mean I'm going to forgive you for the date" Aubrey added in a low voice even though everyone else seemed immersed in doing something else than paying attention to them.

Chloe smiled at Aubrey. "You will forgive me. You'll see."

Aubrey laughed. "Oh you sound so sure of yourself."

"Because I am." The two just looked at each other for a long beat before Chloe left Aubrey. Sighing she picked up a glass and sipped from it.

"What have I got myself into?" she muttered rhetorically before finishing the drink.

 


	2. Strangers of the Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here it is: the blind date. Not much else to really tell just read and enjoy and of course leave your comments!

2: Strangers of the Heart

True to Chloe's word, Aubrey slow, and oh so grudgingly let go of the blind date. The closer it got to Friday, the more nervous she got. She wasn't sure why either-she had dated before, heck, she had been on blind dates before. Too soon, Friday was upon her. Chloe spent most of the day questioning Aubrey from what she was going to where to how her hair was going to be. More than once Aubrey had told her off but she always bounced right back so rather than keep on fighting a battle she wasn't going to win, she gave in, Chloe following her around like an eager puppy.

Aubrey didn't have a lot of dating clothes but Chloe was more than willing to help out. It took some time but finally Chloe was satisfied by the end result: a black dress that dipped but not low to make Aubrey self-conscious, still gave off a good deal of cleavage and leg, her hair was straightened and hung long and flowing over her back, light make-up and finally two inch heels that were also black. Chloe took her hand and gently spun her so she could get a look at the final result. "Is this to your satisfaction?" Aubrey asked when the two were facing again.

Chloe couldn't shake the smile off her lips, Aubrey almost thought she was the one going one the date, she seemed so excited. "Perfect" she said and grinned.

"Good." She grabbed her purse and hauled it up on her shoulder, making sure her keys were in her purse.

Before she could leave, Chloe asked, in all her innocence, "so I probably shouldn't wait up for you?"

Aubrey scoffed. "It's one blind date."

"For now" Chloe grinned at her best friend, who, in response just sighed and headed out. The date had been arranged at a local Italian place, it wasn't too far off campus, not the cheapest place but far from bank breaking. Aubrey had arrived first, wanting to get a feel of the place. Cozy but not too intimate. After a quick once over in the bathroom, she returned to her table.

Five minutes before the actual time that had been reserved, she looked up when she saw a shadow come to the table. "Hello I'm...Stacie?!"

The brunette bit her lip and laughed quietly. "No, I'm Stacie, you're Aubrey." For a second the blonde just stared at the other girl as if she was staring at a mirage.

"Wait...you are the person Chloe set me up with?"

She slowly nodded. "Trust me I had no idea either."

Aubrey shook her head. "She is so dead" she muttered. Gesturing to the chair across from her she said "may as well enjoy the night irregardless of the strange circumstances."

Stacie sat and picked up a menu, Aubrey doing the same, the two busying themselves with the menus. Finally a waiter came and took their drink orders, leaving them again in silence. Finally Stacie broke it by asking "how do you think Chloe would have thought to set us up?"

Aubrey played with the end of her napkin, her head tilted as she thought about the question. Finally she shrugged. "I have no idea."

"Your best friend, much as I like her, is kind of crazy."

Aubrey laughed. "Preaching to the choir. She certainly keeps life interesting."

Stacie smiled. "That she does." After they had placed their orders, things eased up a bit. Granted it could have been the wine but as the night wore on, their conversation became easier and they almost forgot that they were on a blind date.

Well almost.

Looking up from her plate, Stacie asked "so have you ever out before? Like with another girl?"

Aubrey shook her head. "Nope. And I have no idea what would make Chloe think I would want to date a girl...not that you aren't really beautiful...I just..." Taking a quick swallow of her wine, she silently cursed herself and wondered where that had come from.

Stacie flashed her a reassuring smile, taking a sip from her own glass. "I'd take it you've dated...women before?"

Stacie raised an eyebrow but finally nodded once. "Woman actually." Aubrey nodded a little, wondering why she had asked that. "For the record, this is going a lot better" she added with a smile and wink. Aubrey gently returned the smile and finished off her wine.

When the check came around, Aubrey made sure she paid for it. "Least I can do since this was my best friend's doing" she said as she laid some money out. Standing the two faced each other, that awkwardness settling between them again. "So did you walk?" the senior finally asked. Staice nodded and they headed outside, the silence thick between them again.

To break out of the silence, they started to talk about the first thing that came to their minds, burning through topics so fast by the time they were halfway to Barden they had lapsed back into silence. "So what are you going to about Chloe?"

"You mean how am I going to murder her and get rid of the body? Hadn't really thought about it past the murdering part." The two laughed as they walked onto campus, Stacie leading Aubrey to her dorm without either of them saying it.

"Here we are" Stacie said when they had reached her dorm.

"Yep." Aubrey rocked on her heels a bit.

"Thanks for tonight. I know it's not what you had in mind but I enjoyed it."

Aubrey smiled slightly. "Yeah me too." Stacie smiled and unlocked the door.

"Night."

"Night." Letting out a soft sigh, Aubrey headed to her own dorm, trying to understand her best friend's intentions.

 


	3. Let Me In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kind of darker than I had meant to be but I hope it won't stop or deter anyone from continuing as it will get better promise! As always r&r thanks

3: Let Me In

It had been nearly two weeks since Aubrey and Stacie had been on their blind date. Neither had spoke of it, either to each other or anyone else. This, naturally, left Chloe beyond curious. Still, Aubrey wouldn't say a word about that night. It wasn't that it had been a bad thing, just strange and different. Finally one day after Chloe's last class, Aubrey grabbed her. "We need to talk" she said her arm holding Chloe's forearm.

"Finally" Chloe said grinning never mind that Aubrey was sending off scary vibes.

"Why would you set me up on a blind date with Stacie?!" she demanded her voice going up an octave as she spoke, glaring at her best friend.

Chloe sighed as if she was dealing with a child who didn't understand a simple concept. "Because you are clearly attracted to her."

This through Aubrey through a loop. "Aca-scuse me?!"

Chloe grinned again. "Oh come on. I saw the way you were looking at her the first time you saw her."

Aubrey just stared at her best friend as if she had grown a second head. "What are you talking about?"

Once more Chloe sighed though again it held much patience. "When we were having auditions this year? I know you remember."

Rolling her eyes, Aubrey said "of course I remember Chloe. But thinking of Stacie and I in that way?" She vigorously shook her head to get the point across.

"I don't believe you."

Knowing she was on the verge of losing her temper, Aubrey took a breath before saying "Chloe stop it. I have no romantic interest in Stacie."

Chloe sensed she should ease up so she nodded once. "Okay."

"Okay."

* * *

 

"Stacie! Hey Stacie! Slow down!" Sighing she held her books close to her chest as she kept hurrying ahead from the voice behind her. Still he pursed her, not taking the hint of her not answering or slowing down. Finally he was at her side, trying to grab her arm. "Stop! What is going on here?"

"It's pretty easy, Brian. We're over. Get over it and leave me alone." She side-stepped him and started walking again. She didn't get far as he was in front of her seconds later.

"Just like that? You going to give me a reason?"

Laughing coldly she said "sure. You're a compulsive liar, drunk, and cheater!"

He rolled his eyes, a melting caramel that had at first intrigued her. Now though everything about him just repulsed her. "Come on Stac! They meant nothing."

She scoffed. "Just stop Brian. We're done. Find someone else to backstab you asshole." The hit came so fast, Stacie was completely unprepared when it struck her left cheek, making her stumble, the books falling to the ground, her back hitting a wall.

"Watch your mouth you slut!" he snapped, his hands at his sides, clenched into tight fists.

"That's funny coming from you, manwhore" she said back, her eyes glaring at him. He raised his hand, ready to strike again, when a blast of mace hit him in the face, making him scream and wipe frantically at his eyes.

"Oh god! Burns!"

A hand grabbed his shirt, his face nearly level with Aubrey's. "I ever so much as see you look at her, I promise you, you'll be very sorry." She shoved him and he half stumbled half walked away, yelling threats and obscenities. Aubrey paid him no mind as she turned to face Stacie.

"Thank you" she said softly, one hand pressed to her swollen cheek gently. Aubrey nodded and helped Stacie pick up the books, her free hand taking Stacie's.

"Come on. Let's get you back to your dorm." Stacie only nodded and followed Aubrey, one hand cradling her cheek the other held Aubrey's as she had picked up the fallen books. It didn't take them long to reach the dorm, Stacie dropping Aubrey's hand to unlock the door. Sitting at her bed, she watched as Aubrey opened the small freezer she had, grabbing some ice that she quickly locked inside a baggie. Pressing it to Stacie's cheek, she did her best not to wince. "Sorry" Aubrey said softly, holding the ice for a minute before Stacie took it.

"It's okay." She sighed and closed her eyes, she was still quite surprised at everything that had happened.

"Who was that guy?" Aubrey asked, standing up, doing her best not to disturb the bed that Stacie was still sitting on.

"Just a very big mistake I should have avoided like the plague."

"Did he ever do that before?" Aubrey questioned, knowing she was treading on a delicate subject. "No." Aubrey debated whether or not she was hearing the truth. After a minute or so she finally decided that she spoke the truth.

"You can go, really. I'll be fine." She wanted to argue but decided against it.

"Alright but if you need me for anything, just call."

Stacie offered a wane smile. "Thanks Aubrey."

"No problem."

Stacie reached out for the senior's hand. "I mean it. Thank you."

Aubrey nodded. "No problem Stacie." She wasn't about to admit it but she liked the way Stacie's hand felt and the second it was dropped she wanted to take it back. Instead, she grabbed her purse and left.

 


	4. Slow Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Same day, well, night, both Staubrey and Bechloe in this chapter. Enjoy and of course r&r!

4: Slow Love

For the life of her, Aubrey could not sleep that night. Over and over her mind replayed the encounter with Stacie and her ex. It didn't help matters that Chloe had disappeared not long after Aubrey had returned to their dorm. It was nearly ten-thirty before she gave up on sleep and tugged on tennis shoes, tying her hair back in a loose pony-tail, grabbing her purse and keys she locked up behind her and headed to Stacie's dorm.

It was only when she was at the door, her hand raised to knock, when she started to reconsider the entire idea. After all, it was late, given the day's earlier events, she wasn't even sure if Stacie wanted company. Nonetheless, she took a breath and knocked. She had several moments of silence where she had been sure she had made a mistake. The last thought hit Aubrey like a freight train: what if Stacie had someone over? A feeling she couldn't quite identify with washed over her, making her certain she had made a mistake. She would have turned and left if the door hadn't been opened at that exact second.

"Aubrey?" the voice was alert and curious. "What are you doing here?" It was a simple question, nothing more, nothing less.

"I just...couldn't stop thinking about you and everything that happened." It was then when Aubrey let her eyes take in the other girl. Normally when she saw Stacie, she was all glitz and glamour, no matter the occasion. Except, apparently, for bedtime. She was dressed in sweatpants, an oversized Barden t-shirt; her face was free of make-up, her hair loose behind her back. "I'm sorry. I guess I should have called first..."

"No. I'm glad you came" Stacie admitted.

"You are?" Aubrey said, a bit perplexed.

Stacie nodded. "Yeah. I wanted to call you but I didn't want to be a bother."

"No. You could never be a bother."

Stacie half nodded and stepped to the side. "Come in" she said, glad she wasn't alone but not willing to admit it. Once Aubrey was inside, Stacie locked up, sat on the bed, nodding next to her. "Sit. I was just watching some stupid comedy show" she said, followed by a shrug, her head turning a bit when she felt the bed shift.

A silence lapsed between them, broken by the audience laughing from the t.v. When Stacie turned her head a bit to see the older girl, she caught a glimpse of staring. "That bad?" she asked motioning to her cheek.

It was swollen, a light purple almost. "Looks like it hurts" Aubrey said as she looked at Stacie. "I wish I could do something."

Stacie reached for Aubrey's hand. "You did. You saved me earlier, that could have been a lot worse than just my cheek. And you're here now." Aubrey had no idea what her being there now had to do with anything but she wasn't about to question it. Not when she was too busy feeling the warmth of Stacie's hand over her own. It was soft and warm, her fingers tracing circles on Aubrey's hand, making little shivers go up and down her spine.

That was new. And she liked it.

A lot.

"So, when you said everything did you mean just today?"

Aubrey shook her head. "No. I meant our date. And every moment since you auditioned."

There. She had admitted it.

Damn you Chloe she cursed silently. Always right.

Stacie smiled, sitting up as she leaned into the older girl. "I'm glad" she said softly her head so close to Aubrey's she could see the rise and fall of her chest. The tension in the room was so thick one could have cut it with a knife. For the longest moment, they lingered, their lips so close they could hear the other breathing.

And then the gap was broken, Stacie's lips gently touching Aubrey's, a tentative move that was slowly returned. Both girls were surprised when neither away, Aubrey leaning in closer, their lips never breaking apart. Slowly, Stacie deepened it, her tongue softly moving across Aubrey's lips, as if asking for permission. On instinct, Aubrey's lips parted slightly, Stacie's tongue slipping inside her mouth, gently stroking Aubrey's tongue with her own. Aubrey could taste her now, a kind of cherry lip balm on her lips, her mouth like...butterscotch? Whatever it was, it was intoxicating to Aubrey whom pulled the other Bella onto her lap, the two falling back on the bed.

Breaking apart, chests heaving Stacie looked down at Aubrey. "Wow" she mumbled as she reached down to brush some loose hair out of the blonde's eyes.

"Wow indeed" Aubrey said before she wrapped her arms around Stacie's neck, pulling her down into another deep kiss.

* * *

 

"So, Aubrey still not admitting to liking Stacie?" Beca asked, looking at Chloe.

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm almost never wrong about these things."

Beca raised an eyebrow. "Almost never?" she asked getting a gentle nudge to her side which made her laugh.

"Not when it comes to Aubrey" Chloe clarified with a shrug.

"Well maybe you were wrong."

Chloe sighed, sitting up a bit in the bed, the sheet dropping, Beca's eyes not meaning to follow but did so anyways. "I don't buy it. She's Aubrey, very good at hiding her feelings." Snapping her fingers she added "my eyes are up here Mitchell."

"What? Aubrey hide her feelings? Seems pretty open when we had Bella practice." Beca laughed. "What do you want me to say? I'm only human" she said and laughed again.

Chloe rolled her eyes and nudged Beca again. "I know how Aubrey can be, trust me, I know. But she's my best friend and loyal to a fault."

Beca kissed Chloe's cheek. "Well she must be special if you consider her your best friend."

Chloe nodded. "Yeah. She is. I just want her happy."

"Like us?"

Chloe smiled and kissed Beca softly. "Yeah. Just like us."

 


	5. White Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next day, not much to tell really, just R&R thanks

5: White Lies

Blinking against the sun which was just starting to rise, Aubrey was a bit dazed when her eyes first opened. Upon first looking around, she had no idea where she was. And then she was aware of a body next to hers, a long mane of black hair partly on her shoulder.

Stacie.

Slowly the night before came back to her: Aubrey coming over to Stacie's, concerned after her run in with her ex, at first they had just talked, and then kissing and...Lifting the blanket, she breathed a silent sigh when she saw they were both clothed. Setting the blanket back down, she laid her head back down on the pillow, carefully setting Stacie's hair to the side so she wouldn't lay on it. She wasn't sure how long she had laid there, feeling the warmth of Stacie next to her, the scent of her in the bedsheets, now clinging to her clothes.

Finally though she felt Stacie start to wake-up, her gorgeous eyes slowly opened and took in Aubrey, a light smile playing on her lips. "Hey" she said as she sat up, rubbing the last of sleep from her eyes.

"Hey" Aubrey echoed back softly, smiling back.

"So..." Stacie started, the two looking at each other then laughing together. "Some night" she finished looking at Aubrey.

"Sure was" Aubrey agreed.

"Are you sorry?"

The question hung in the air between them. "The only way I would be sorry is if last night was the only time I got to be with you...in that way."

Leaning over, Stacie kissed Aubrey once. "Oh it won't be. Promise" she said making Aubrey's face flush though she smiled nonetheless.

Her smiled faltered. "Uh Stac..."

"Don't worry. I won't say anything."

She blinked twice and nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

"I'm doing this for both of us. I'm not ready for everyone else to know about us yet."

Us? Aubrey wondered where that confidence came from. Sure, she acted like she knew everything when it came to acapella. But singing and dancing had been in her life since she could remember. It was the one place where she felt completely in control. But relationships? Love? That was uncharted territories for her. Her eyes found Stacie who smiled at her. It was impossible for her to not return it. She wouldn't worry about any of that. No, when she was with Stacie, she would push aside her problems and focus on the amazing person she was with.

"Not that I want you to go..."

Aubrey groaned. "Trust me, I don't want to go."

Stacie looked at her, her head tilted before she said "shouldn't you at least check in with Chloe? You still share a dorm right?"

Chloe. She hadn't been home when Aubrey had left, she had no idea if she had returned the night before or not. Before she could answer, a loud ring from her purse startled them. "Seems you are psychic Stacie Conrad" Aubrey said as she dug her phone out of the purse. Of course it was Chloe, she knew that ringtone anywhere. Clearing her voice she answered with "hey."

"Hey. Where'd you run off to so early?"

"Decided to go for a run, grab some Starbucks" Aubrey answered, surprising herself as to how easy it was to...fib to Chloe. She felt a slight stab of guilt, even though she knew she had to, for the time being, keep her and Stacie's relationship a secret.

Stacie herself had slid out of bed, her legs hanging over the side as she sat on a corner. Aubrey's eyes drifted to her, then she was jarred back when Chloe spoke again. "You coming back soon?"

"Why? Miss me?"

The two laughed at that remark. "Yeah need my Aubrey fix." Aubrey's eyes found Stacie again; she really didn't want to leave but she knew she had to keep up a normal routine to keep Chloe from suspecting anything.

"You'll see me before the day is over. Promise."

"What are you up to Posen?"

Aubrey held back a laugh. "Nothing Beale. I'll be back soon."

"Soon?"

She held back a huff. "Yes soon. I'm going to hit the library to get some studying done." There was a pause on the other line. "Chloe?"

"Okay see you whenever."

"Bye."

"Bye."

After hanging up with Aubrey, Chloe called Beca. "Did you find her?"

"Not exactly. The dorm was empty..."

"All night?" She could hear the disbelief in Beca's tone. She didn't blame her.

"Well I got in just after one and she wasn't here."

"And you didn't hear her come in?"

Chloe turned to look at the door. "No I would have heard" she said nodding even though Beca clearly couldn't see that.

"So...?"

"I have no idea." Well she knew what she hoped it was. Still Aubrey had seemed so damn adamant that there was nothing between her and Stacie. And yet...

"Not going to assume she spent the night with another Bella?"

Chloe smirked, knowing that Beca was digging and decided to let her keep digging. "Another Bella? But who?"

Beca laughed, a rare event but it happened around a lot Chloe. "Oh I don't know...That dark haired soprano maybe?"

"Hm...starts with an S right?"

A quiet snickering on Chloe's behalf, maybe Beca's as well. "S...Stacie?"

"That's it! Yeah!" Chloe couldn't help but add a snap of her fingers, the two girls burst into hysterical giggles.

"Well well-maybe you weren't wrong."

"Yeah. Maybe not" Chloe said, her eyes drifting to Aubrey's side of the room where her books sat neatly on her bed.

 


	6. Trust Me (This Is Love)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Same day, or, night, Aubrey finally goes back to her dorm only to be harassed by cryptic texts from Stacie. Enjoy and hang in there I promise it will be worth it in a few chapters

6: Trust Me (This is Love)

Stacie and Aubrey spent the rest of the day together, Aubrey slipping out of her dorm with as much discreet as she could manage. She hated having to leave but she had to keep her life going as normally as possible. She didn't want anyone to suspect anything. Especially Chloe. "Damn you Chloe" Aubrey muttered but smiling nonetheless. She knew none of this would have happened if it hadn't been for Chloe setting up the blind date. Aubrey would never understand how she knew. But she knew that when she was ready to come clean about her and Stacie she would owe her best friend big time. Maybe she could find someone for Chloe, she hadn't seen anyone since her and Tom had ended...right before the semi-finals? Not that Aubrey had been surprised, the two may have started off hot and heavy but that had died off quickly.

Now that she was thinking about it, couldn't the same be said for her and Stacie? Scoffing, she shook her head.

No.

Her and Stacie were nothing like Chloe and Tom.

When she opened the door, she found Chloe on her bed, she looked up for a second and said "hey" her usual chipper self.

"Hey" Aubrey said back, sitting down on her own bed.

Chloe sat up and looked at her. "How was your day?" her voice still as chipper as before.

"Fine. You?"

"Fine."

Silence.

"It's weird. Not having Bella practice." Aubrey looked up at her best friend, a bit puzzled. A glance at her phone showed that if had been a normal Bella practice day it would have been ending.

"Yeah it kind of is." Actually in a way it was bittersweet, knowing that something that was such a big part of both of their lives was ending. Well for them. She knew the Bellas would be fine with Beca in charge.

"You got mail" Chloe said, nodding at a stack of mail.

"Thanks" Aubrey said as she grabbed it, leafing through it. Nothing of interest. Shrugging she was about to say something when her phone went off, signaling a new text. She felt a funny sense in her stomach as she dug it out of her purse, hoping it was from her. It was and it took everything she had not break out into a bright grin.

"Hey beautiful. We need another date soon." Still doing her best to hide her grin she sent back "agreed. Just say the when and where." It took a few minutes but she got a text back. "Saturday, I'll meet you behind the auditorium at seven."

A whole week? Aubrey thought with mild frustration. She had no idea if she could go that long before seeing Staice again. "I need to see you before then" she sent back. "We will. Promise. Just keep your phone handy ;)" Aubrey received less than a minute later. "Holding you to that." Nearly three minutes before she got another text. "Oh don't worry. I keep my promises. See ya beautiful xoxo."

Through the entire texting, Chloe had been watching Aubrey from the corner of her eye. Which is how she had seen her face change from firm and rigid fade and give way to a big grin. Just as Aubrey had put her phone down did Chloe jerk her eyes down. "Some serious texting going on" Chloe said, not looking up from the textbook in her lap.

"Just a study partner" she said back. "Thought I'd get one for some of my harder classes. Chloe bit back a laugh. Aubrey was a straight A-student, she was one of the last people at Barden who needed a study partner. Still if that was the way she wanted to play, it Chloe could go with it.

"Can't believe our senior year is ending" Chloe said, a wistfullness to her tone.

"Yeah. Hard to believe." There was a silence between them again, the two lost in their own thoughts of the night before.

Chloe thought of the night before, being with Beca she had never felt happier. She couldn't imagine being with anyone else. Actually, if she was being completely honest, she couldn't see herself with anyone else. Ever.

Aubrey's mind was on Stacie, wondering what the future held. Hoping she could ready for whatever came next. Right then though she didn't see much past getting through a long week at school before Saturday and her second date with Stacie. She wanted to tell Chloe, and when the time was right, she would. In the meantime, she was happy just by being with Stacie even if it meant having to keep it a secret.

 


	7. Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 4 days later, lets just say Stacie's texts leave Aubrey a bit...flustered ha ha. R&R just so I know people are reading and enjoying it thanks!

7: Fever

Four days.

That was how long it took before Aubrey received another text from Stacie. Aubrey was just leaving her econ class, heading to chemistry, when she felt a shiver from her phone. Ever since Saturday, she had been like a tightly wound spring, ready to go off whenever she felt her phone go off, never mind the disappointment she felt when it wasn't from Stacie.

That faded the second she saw the name on her phone. Biting back a happy yelp, she hurried inside the bathroom, shutting herself inside a stall. "Finally" she said as she opened the text, which cryptically read: "save the date: Saturday, seven p.m., behind the auditorium, casual wear is fine." She had no idea what to make out of that. "I seriously have to wait until Saturday?" she sent back.

By the time she received a text back she was half-way through her chemistry class. Her partner, an overeager freshman, hardly paid her any mind while she, as discreetly as possible, checked her phone. "Trust me it'll be worth the wait..." followed by "in the meantime, this should hold you over." A few seconds later, another text, showing a very revealing Stacie, a coy smile on her lips, single sexy wink, her arms covering the parts of her that Aubrey secretly wanted to see. Being thrown, Aubrey turned quickly, her hip accidently turning the bunson burner on, the flame shooting up suddenly.

"Woah!" Her partner quickly shut it off, the professor making his way to the back to see what the commotion was about. With shaky fingers, Aubrey slipped the phone back inside her pocket as discreetly as possible.

"What seems to be the problem?" the professor asked, an older gruff with a fairly white beard. "Ms. Posen? Mr. Nichols?" Her partner just gave a shrug.

"It was my fault. I lost my balance and hit the bunson burner." The professor's eyes, hidden behind thick glasses, slowly drifted around the room slowly, like a hawk seeking its prey. Most of the other students were busy or appeared engrossed with their work. Finally they found their way back to Aubrey and her partner.

"Try and be careful. I know you're graduating but please try not to burn the school down."

Feeling her face flush she nodded. "Yes sir" she said as he walked back to his desk. Letting out a deep breath, she gave her head a shake, as if that would jar the images out of her mind. She had never been more happy than when class was dismissed, hurrying out of the building.

She was relieved to find the dorm empty, taking out her phone, she dialed Stacie and waited through three rings before she answered, a breathy "hi beautiful" answered.

For a second she was disarmed by the voice alone. After a few moment's pause she finally snapped "what the hell Stacie?!" Satcie laughed then, another way to bring Aubrey to her knees. Oh it was amazing how much power one person could have over her.

"Oh now Aubrey. I'm sure you enjoyed that little pic of me."

"Stacie, I almost burned the damn chem lab down!"

Silence.

"Seriously?"

"Yes!"

Another lull of silence followed by a burst of laughter from the two girls. "That'll teach you-opening a text from Stacie Conrad while in public, not the smartest move."

"Guess not" Aubrey managed to get out, followed by another choke of laughing. For a minute they both went quiet, trying to get their breaths back. Finally she managed to ask "what have you done to me Stacie Conrad?"

Stacie laughed a bit though it was slightly uneasy. "What do you mean?" she asked, trying to find a clue in the blonde's voice but finding none.

Aubrey scoffed. "Don't you give me that. You know exactly what you've done, turned me into a girl who gets butterflies everytime I think of you, who gets nervous everytime I get a new text, who wants the other person on the line to be you more than anything." She sighed as she laid on her bed. "It's amazing how fast I've fallen."

Stacie was quiet as she listened to the other girl, a light smile playing out on her lips. "Yeah well what can I say-I have powers." She was expecting a laugh back.

Instead she heard a loud sigh, followed by "yes you do indeed. And you have me completely under your spell."

Again a silence lapsed between them. Stacie finally broke it by asking "so, do you want to come over?"

Aubrey sat up so fast she got dizzy. "Seriously? Don't jerk me around Stacie not after the picture and me nearly burning down the chem lab..." She could hear her fighting back a laugh. "It's not funny!" she said though she faltered and was laughing right along with her seconds later.

"Yes I'm serious Aubrey. The door's unlocked, just come in."

"Be right there."

Seconds later, the blonde was doing her best to calmly get across the school and to Stacie's room, though she walked, quickly, she would have run if it wouldn't have looked out of character. Finally she was in front of her door, she didn't hesitate, turning the handle and walking inside. Her fingers turned the lock behind her, her eyes taking in the room. "Oh don't tell me we're playing hide and seek" she said with a sigh and eye roll.

From the left she heard a laugh. "I'll be right there." Must have been in the bathroom Aubrey figured. Looking around she wondered for the billionth time how Stacie had managed to land a single. It was hard for seniors and juniors to get them, let alone freshmen.

Her thoughts were back on the brunette as she walked into the room. She wasted no time, grabbing her wrist, she kissed her deeply, Stacie instantly returning it. She breaks it, gently throwing the other girl on her bed, easily straddling her, she pins her arms down. Stacie looks up at her, giggling. "Should have figured you'd want to be on top" she says smirking at Aubrey.

Aubrey couldn't knock the smile off her face as she looked at Stacie. "You should be punished. That was very cruel of you."

Stacie smiled back at her, a raised eyebrow. "Oh punished huh? Whatever did you have in mind?" Her eyes were on Aubrey's, her heart starting to race a bit.

Aubrey bent her head down, her lips hovered over Stacie's for a minute before she turned her head, her lips gently meeting the soft flesh of her neck. The brunette closed her eyes, fighting back a groan as Aubrey's lips traveled down one side, at the hollow of her neck, then the other side. Her hands were now released from Aubrey, they clutched at the bedsheets, everything seemed like it was on fire.

Aubrey broke away, before Stacie could argue with her, their lips were meshed together again, deep and long, the couple were breathless when the kiss broke. "MM you drive me crazy" Aubrey whispered, her lips still lingering on Stacie's.

Stacie grinned and kissed her once more softly. "Ditto" she said her arms wrapping around her back, weaving through her hair, feeling every strand slip through her fingers. "Ditto" she repated before their lips were together again, a deeper urgency between the two of them. Amazingly, and to Aubrey's annoyance, Stacie was the one who broke it.

"What?" Aubrey asked as she sat up off her. "What did I do?" Stacie bit back a smile as she looked at Aubrey. She was, well, pouting. And it was adorable.

Sitting up she said "nothing" her hands taking Aubrey's. "I just...I've never actually been in a relationship. It's always been sex and nothing more with me. With us, with you, I want an actual relationship. I don't want just sex. And I don't want to rush this. Believe me Aubrey, the feelings I have for you are...intense. But that will make waiting worth it. I promise."

Aubrey was quiet as she looked at Stacie, in truth, her words made some sense. She smiled and nodded. "Okay Stacie. I believe you."

Stacie smiled and kissed her once. "Good" she said before she kissed her again, a bit deeper than the one before. They spent the rest of the day in Stacie's dorm, wrapped in each other, lost in the moment and not caring about anything but the moment they were in.

 


	8. You Found Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is the second date for Stacie and Aubrey. Wonder what Stacie has planned? And maybe Aubrey will have second thoughts before letting Stacie plan another date? R&R and enjoy

8: You Found me

It's nearly seven and for the tenth time Aubrey checks her watch. This was the right time, correct? She reread the text. Yes, seven p.m. on Saturday. All right so she was early. Had been there since nearly six thirty. The nerves that she had were on edge and very tense. She had changed several times before making her way to behind the auditorium. She nervously kicked at the ground and picked at her nail. God why was she so damn nervous?

A hand wrapped around her neck, startling her before a breathy laugh went past her ear. "Hi there" she heard and instantly she relaxed. A soft kiss sent a shiver down her back, it was warm and gentle. Absolutely perfect.

"Hi" she breathed as she looked at Stacie, smiling. It was impossible not to smile at Stacie or just by being around her. "So what are the plans for the evening?" she asked as she turned so they were facing, the brunette wrapping an arm around her waist.

Stacie took a breath and chewed on her bottom lip. It was taking everything Aubrey had not to kiss her again. "Well...I need you to do something you aren't very good at." Aubrey nodded once. Whatever it was she doubted it could have been that bad. "I need you to put all your trust in me." For a minute, she sensed that Aubrey was going to back out. Surprisingly though she nodded and took a breath as she offered a smile. "Yeah?" She nodded again. Stacie let her arm drop and walked behind her, wrapping her own Bella scarf around her eyes. "Relax relax. Just trust me."

Aubrey huffed and Stacie laughed kissing her cheek. "I trust you" she said as she did her best to will herself to relax. But Stacie was right. If there was one thing Aubrey hated, yes even moreso than the Trebles, it was having no control. It was why she didn't like rollercoasters or anything else that took control from her.

But for Stacie she would do her best to ignore that feeling and enjoy her night. After all, she had been looking forward to that night for a week and she wasn't going to let anything ruin it. Aubrey had no idea how long they walked for, finally though Staice stopped, catching her arm. "Okay. We have stairs now. Don't worry though. I got you." She nodded and let Stacie lead her up what felt like a million stairs. Finally she heard "okay last step and then solid ground. Promise." True to her word, the next step did indeed involve solid ground.

Stacie untied the scarf and finally Aubrey could see. "Where...are we?" It was clear they were on top of a building but which one she was uncertain. Stacie's quiet laugh again sent a shiver down Aubrey's spine. She imagined she would always have that reaction.

"We're still at Barden, on top of the C wing." Aubrey took a step back and looked around. From where she was she could see the campus below. Of course she also knew that the stairs were securely locked day and night.

"And how exactly did you manage to get the keys for the C wing?" Aubrey asked not really sure that she wanted to know the answer.

"Ah...the less you know, the better." Aubrey thought for a minute, softly biting her lip before she nodded once. "Let's just enjoy tonight. I put quite a bit of work into it." In the center there was a small table, food, drink and unlit candles. It was a small gesture but it warmed Aubrey nonetheless.

"Indeed you did" she said smiling before she kissed her deeply. Stacie eagerly returned the kiss, pulling the blonde closer to her. When it broke she smiled and gently rubbed Aubrey's back. "I don't deserve you" she said as she looked into her eyes.

"Sh" Stacie cut her off with another kiss. "Other way" she said as she leaned her into her closer still. Leaning her head against hers she said "you don't ever say that again. You deserve me. You deserve far better than me. Just being with you makes me better."

Aubrey could feel tears starting to slip. Grumbling she hurriedly brushed them away. Stacie linked a hand with Aubrey's and led her to the table. It wasn't much-some simple sandwiches, side dishes and wine. All of it was wonderful to Aubrey. "No one has treated me this way" she said when she was working on her second glass of wine.

Stacie smiled as she looked at Aubrey. "When the light hits your hair, it almost looks like a halo. Like an angel." This made Aubrey half choke as she finished the glass of wine setting the glass down. "What?" Stacie asked as she looked at her.

"I've been compared to many things but it tends to be the opposite of an angel." Stacie reached for her hand, gently kissing it, each kiss sent a shiver down Aubrey's spine.

"Well to hell with the rest of the world. They had no idea who you really are."

Aubrey cocked her head. "And you know me."

"Know you better than the rest of the world to know you are an angel. Well my angel at least. You saved me twice."

"Twice?" Aubrey assumed she spoke of when she had chased off Stacie's ex but she had no idea how else she could have saved her. Nothing was coming to mind.

"Of course. You saved me from my ex. And then you saved me from a long miserable life of being alone. From more than just...one night stands. I knew that was what I was destined for. And then you happened and showed me honest true love." Once more she kissed her hand.

Aubrey was glad for the darkness. Glad that Stacie couldn't see her flushed face. Never had kinder, more loving words been spoken to her.

Ever.

"Well, if that's the way you feel, then I suppose you saved me. I was no doubt going to end up becoming a lawyer, still am, mind you. But I was going to be one that always threw myself into my work and never had time for anyone or anything else. Now, though, I see so many possibilities. With us."

Stacie smiled. "Us" she echoed softly.

"Us."

Stacie linked her fingers with Aubrey her eyes never leaving hers. "Would you do something for me?" Stacie finally said, breaking the silence between them.

"Of course." She meant it too. There wasn't a thing she could have asked that Aubrey wouldn't have done. Again, she wondered just what had happened that made her this way.

Smiling, she motioned for the blonde to stay seated as she stood up. Walking to the right, she headed down the stairs she had brought them up and was back up about a minute later, a boombox in her hands. "Wow...that's an antique" Aubrey said with a laugh as she watched Stacie set it up on the table.

"Let's dance" she said as she took her hand and smiled, pressing the play button. It took Aubrey's brain a minute to know the song. She laughed softly and placed a hand at her hips, the other she held as they slowly danced.

"Can I let you in on a little secret?" she said as she looked at Stacie, knowing full well she was smiling like the lovestruck fool she was.

"Sure."

Leaning her head down so her mouth was close to her ear she said "I really really really hate this song." Pulling her head back up she half shrugged. After a lull of silence, the two were laughing together, still dancing to the song.

"I should have guessed. I mean you had to learn this song how many times...?"

"Oh I stopped counting" she said and tried not to wince as the song hit a high note. "Long ago" she said and nodded again. Kissing Stacie she said "but it's sweet you thought of me."

As the song faded, the last note of Eternal Flame coming to a close, Stacie stepped away to turn the boombox off. "Here. Something a little more modern." Taking out her phone she played with it until she hit the right song: A Thousand Years. For a minute the two just stared at each other, slowly their bodies starting to move to the music.

When she had found her voice Aubrey said "I'd have never pegged you as a romantic."

Stacie smiled a bit. "What can I say? You changed me too." Aubrey bit her lip. "What?" Stacie asked, her face taking in Aurbey's slowly.

"I just hope not in a bad way."

Stacie kissed her once softly. "Of course not" she said her lips still against hers, feeling the warmth of their bodies pressed close together. "Nothing bad could ever come from loving you." Aubrey didn't say anything else, just kissed her again deeply, never wanting the moment to end, never wanting to let go.

 


	9. Dark Horse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been two weeks, both Bechloe and Staubrey in this chapter since I stiffed you guys in the last one (sorry about that!) Hope this one more than makes up for it ;) Enjoy R&R!

9: Dark Horse

"I swear Chloe, I don't know how you talk me into these insane stunts!"

A laugh as Chloe faced her girlfriend. "Oh now you love it secretly and of everything I have done..."

"This is the craziest!"

Chloe laughed again as she tossed her shirt to the side and reached behind her to unclasp her bra letting it fall. "Come on Mitchell. Strip."

Muttering Beca started to undress as well, her eyes not able to leave Chloe's body. Chloe smirked. "What? Nothing you haven't seen before" she teased as she slipped out of her shorts and panties, standing fully nude in front of Beca.

"Oh now you were the shower stalker in case you forgot" Beca said with an eyeroll. Never mind she was undressing as well. Chloe patiently waited until the last piece of clothing fell before she felt Chloe tug her hand.

"Come on" she said as she led her to the lake. She could hear Beca muttering but didn't say anything as she finally hit the water. Slowly the two started to wade in, letting out quiet gasps as the cold water hit them.

"This...is...so...stupid." Chloe just grinned. By now they were pretty much in the water, it was just about level with Chloe's breasts, almost at Beca's shoulders. Chloe smiled as she kissed Beca, then wrapped an arm around her waist, smiling at her still.

"I love you" she said as she kept her eyes locked with Beca's. She had surprised herself. The phrase had never been spoken between the two. Finally though Chloe was ready. Had been for a while. Finding her voice and getting the courage to say it was another story. As she waited, the silence so deafening she wondered if she had made a mistake.

The words echoed inside Beca's head. I love you. Over and over again. She finally made her eyes look at Chloe.

Shit.

She had been too quiet. She knew that look in Chloe's eyes. "Hey" she said softly her lips touching Chloe's before the redhead pulled back slightly. Fighting off a slight annoyance, Beca grabbed her wrist. "Stop." While she didn't move any further, she made no moves closer to Beca. "I'm sorry" she said softly. "You just surprised me. Again." She chewed on her lip for a minute before she made herself step in front of Chloe, doing her best to press her body closer to Chloe. "Look at me." Her tone was soft and gentle, not in the least demanding. Patiently Beca waited never mind they were standing nude in a lake.

When her eyes met Chloe's she felt her breath hitch. "Like I said, you surprised me. You're quite good at that" she added which made them both chuckle. "But it's okay. Keeps me on my toes." Finally, with her eyes locked on Chloe's. After letting out a breath she finally said "I love you too."

Another long beat of silence. Finally Chloe grinned and kissed her once. "I've never been happier" she said and grinned as she looked down at Beca. She smiled and kissed her again, much deeper this time, pressing her closer to her body. As usual Beca just let herself melt in Chloe's arms. It was impossible not to. When it broke, Chloe leaned her head against Beca's, the smile never leaving her lips. "So, I had an idea..."

"Uh oh" was all Beca said before grinning at the redhead.

"Hear me out first." Beca sighed dramatically but nodded. "If you aren't doing anything this summer, would you like to meet my family?" It was a huge risk, a gamble, moreso than her declaring her love for the younger girl. But she didn't care. She knew what she was feeling was the realest thing she had ever and would ever feel for someone. "Only if you want to, of course. I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable."

Just when Beca thought Chloe couldn't surprise her anymore, she managed to up her one more time. Still she didn't have to think long. "I'd love that" she said and smiled at Chloe who returned it, once more their lips meeting.

"I love you, Beca Mitchell."

"I love you Chloe Beale."

* * *

In the darkened theater, nearly empty, all eyes are on the screen in front. Well, almost all eyes. In the past two weeks, Stacie and Aubrey, (mostly Aubrey) had gotten braver about being out and about in public. Sure, when they had been out the first time and Stacie and grabbed her hand she had dropped it immediately, as if she had been shocked. Stacie had played it off like nothing had happened. Slowly, she started to relax and the next time Stacie took her hand, she didn't pull away, nor did she drop it. She squeezed it and smiled at Stacie instead.

It had been Stacie's idea to see a movie, just to get out. School was very close to being done for the year and everyone seemed to be on edge. Yes they needed this break from it all. So now they sat, the theater dark and quiet, only a few people were around, all in front of the girls.

For some reason, it seemed the more Stacie tried to watch the movie, the less she could. Sure at times she could be a bit of a space cadet but overall she usually had a better grip on staying focused. But being in a darkened theater, with Aubrey so close, looking very sexy in a black skirt and white blouse, very little make-up, just enough to make those blue eyes pop just right, was nearly too much.

She could tell the movie was coming to a close soon-it was some rom-com, fairly predictable but she didn't care-and was grateful. No sooner had she let herself relax in her seat did it happen. "Stac?" the word was soft and warm, right on her ear, it took everything she had not to shiver.

Doing her best to keep calm she said back softly "yeah?" her eyes drifting from the screen to find her girfriend's.

Her girlfriend.

How she loved that phrase.

There's such a pause she is almost sure that Aubrey never spoke at all and it was merely her imagination. But then she hears her. Loud and clear, never mind how low her voice is. "I'm ready."

More silence.

Stacie isn't stupid. She knows exactly what Aubrey means. Just like she knows how many times she has broken away from her lips, her fingers off her clothes, which, seconds ago she was more than ready to tear off. How many cold showers she has taken. How many nights she has gotten herself off, all the while her desire only grows.

Oh yes, she knows exactly what she means. Still she plays it off as best she can. "Ready for what?" she asks, her voice soft still. The next sound, a quiet chuckle from Aubrey, which couldn't have come at a better time given the moment in the movie was played for comedy, it finds its way at the base of her ear and down her spine, making her shiver again.

A light kiss at the side of her neck startles her, a warmth spreads through her entire body then. "Oh you know exactly what I mean." The words are again right at her ear and another shiver goes down her spine, making her bite her lip softly.

She turns in her seat, facing Aubrey, doing the best she can to see her. For a minute, neither say anything, just look at each other. Stacie gently takes Aubrey's hand and links it with her own, her fingers sliding in between hers. "You're sure sure? Because there is no ru..."

Her words are cut off when Aubrey kisses her deeply, she is thrown off guard but returns the kiss after gaining some composure. When it breaks, Aubrey says "Stacie, I'm more than sure and I am more than ready." The two are staring at each other, so deeply as if trying to see the other's soul. She is quiet for a minute, biting down her lip softly. "Don't worry. We won't ruin anything, I know that worries you but...the difference is, there's love between us and I've never had that before. Neither have you. That's what makes us different."

Stacie bites her lip again, carefully thinking. Of course she wants to move onto the next step, of course she wants to see Aubrey, feel her, taste her...She accidently draws a bit of blood on her lip but barley feels it. Facing Aubrey she nods once and their lips meet again. As they kiss, Aubrey's heart feels like it's going to fly right out of her chest. She truly can't believe it. It almost seems like a dream. One she hopes to never wake up from.

But it is no dream. It's real. Stacie's real. Their relationship, their love for each other, all of it is real. And finally they will be able to not just show it but fully express it.

 


	10. Beautiful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And here it finally is-Staubrey's "first time." Pretty self-explanatory

10: Beautiful

There was an electric current it seemed that flowed between the two girls as they walked from the theater back to Barden. They were quiet, though it wasn't out of fear, more like a quiet thoughtfulness for what was going to happen. The streets were alive, people rushed about, cars headed to and from work, more than once did they have to wait for a line of cars to pass before they could safely pass. Stacie had a good grip on Aubrey's hand, her finger gently tracing circles on her hand, sending warm shockwaves up and down Aubrey's spine.

As the school came into view, the two stopped for a minute, just staring. Finally, Aubrey took the first step, Stacie following, their hands still never dropping. It was a silent unanimous decision to head to Stacie's-neither were ready to reveal this relationship to Chloe just yet let alone under the circumstances in which she would find out. It was quiet at Barden, by now, students were either out on the town for the night, in their dorms or the library, getting in one last crash before they took their last finals.

They reached Stacie's door and after some fumbling around, she managed to unlock it, stepping inside, her hand never dropping Aubrey's. Muttering, she reached up along the wall, feeling for the lightswitch, she hadn't anticipated being out so late and the dorm was pitch black. Aubrey's free hand covered hers, a quiet, almost inaudible "don't" from the blonde. Stacie pulled her hand back and nodded once, leading her to the bed. She could have found her way in the darkness even at her most drunken state.

Aubrey faced Stacie, their hands dropping for the first time since they had left the theater as they faced each other. For a minute, Stacie's eyes took in Aubrey as best she could in the darkness. There was not a sign of hesitation, a bit of apprehension but not one that said she wasn't ready. That she didn't want this. For that, Stacie was grateful. Slowly, she reached up to undo the buttons on Aubrey's blouse, Aubrey biting her lip but doing nothing to stop her. When the last button was undone, Stacie reached up and gently pulled it off her shoulders. By now Aubrey was looking anywhere but at her. Taking a step back she took in the sight before her. It was everything she had imagined and more, oh so much more. Reaching for her face, she lifted it up so she could see her, eye to eye. She only had one word. "Beautiful."

And she was.

Aubrey knew her face was flushed but the darkness concealed it perfectly. Reaching behind her, she undid her bra and held it to her chest for a minute before she let her hand drop, the bra falling to the floor. Stacie bit her lip now. Just when she thought Aubrey couldn't be anymore beautiful she somehow was. She made no move forward, just watched as Aubrey finished undressing, until she was naked in front of her, Stacie's breath gone as she made her way closer, her arms snaking around her waist, her lips on hers, deeply and full of passion and desire. "Beautiful" she whispered again, the two locking eyes again for a minute before their lips crashed down again, deeper this time.

When it broke, Stacie gently laid Aubrey down on the bed and started to undress herself, taking no time she stripped down and when the last piece of clothing was gone, she laid over Aubrey, their lips meeting again, Aubrey's hands wrapping around her waist and up, gently they held onto her shoulders. Stacie broke away, Aubrey wanted to argue with her, but instead groaned softly when her lips met her neck, her tongue and teeth gently moved across her neck, down her throat. It was taking everything she had to keep her composure which she knew she was losing miserably. Her breathing was ragged, Stacie's mouth moved lower now, her fingers gently digging into her shoulders as she knew where she was going, her body shaking in eager anticipation. Stacie's lips and teeth went lower, until she was right above her waiting breasts. Instead she went past them, lower, then back up, her mouth finding one breast, gently she took the nipple between her teeth and lips, rolling it between them carefully. Aubrey bit her lip hard, doing her best to stage off the moans, her nails digging into Stacie harder now, no words now, just gasps and quiet moans.

Stacie alternated between the blonde's perfect breasts, the nipples becoming rock hard and erect after her lips had barley brushed them, her hand caressing the free breast at the same time. With each move she made, Aubrey seemed to be clutching her harder but she hardly felt it, too focused on pleasing her. From what she could feel and hear she was doing a good job so far.

Everything to Aubrey seemed to be on edge, her body was shaking, it seemed the harder she tried to stay still, the more her body fought her and shook harder. Never had she been so turned on and never had she such a reaction before. It was truly unlike anything she had ever been through. Her fingers clutched Stacie tightly, her breath ragged still, quietly she whispered her lover's name in the darkness, making Stacie shiver a bit at the sound.

Breaking away from her breasts, she kissed down her belly, Aubrey's back going up slightly as she did so, her breath hitching a bit. She trailed a finger down her leg, feeling how soft and smooth it was to the touch, her mouth lower now. Sitting up a bit, she spread Aubrey's leg's slightly. "Relax" she said as she looked at her, reaching for her hand. She softly kissed it. "Relax" she repeated though of course she was saying something so much more.

Trust me.

Their eyes met and Aubrey nodded once, laying back down, taking a few deep breaths. Stacie waited a minute before she leaned back down, gently spreading her legs again. Once she had taken her own breath, she bent her head down and just barley flicked her tongue against her wet folds. She could feel Aubrey move slightly, another groan escaped past her lips. Once more she flicked against her again and again before her tongue slipped inside her. Aubrey was doing her best to keep still but she couldn't stop her back from arching a bit, a moan vibrating through her body and out through her lips. If she had thought she had known pleasure before, she knew she hadn't truly been pleasured before. At first, Stacie just let her tongue play inside her, gently moving and stroking it against her, brushing past her clit, she knew when she had done so for Aubrey's groans would go up an octave or so.

Finally she focused on her clit and just her clit. Aubrey's heart felt like it was going to explode from her chest, everything in her body seemed like it was on fire and it was all by Stacie's tongue on her clit. Just before she hit paramount ecstasy, Stacie sat up. Confused, frustrated, Aubrey opened her mouth, ready to question her. Before she could though, Stacie was straddling her waist. "Trust me" she said with a smirk as she kissed her once before she moved her body until she was right above Aubrey. Rocking back and forth, Stacie bit her lip, they were both almost there, she could feel it, like a spring in a pinball machine, just waiting to be pulled back.

Stacie knew when at last Aubrey reached her orgasm. Once more her fingers had gripped her body, tightly then loose, over and over. When the moment of pure pleasure hit, her back came up off the bed, moans and groans escaped her lips and Stacie could feel the warmth of her juices as she kept rocking against her.

"Fuck Stacie!" She smirked and bit her lip as she kept rocking, Aubrey's orgasm had almost triggered her own. She wasn't sure how much time had passed it but she did reach her own, her body rocking against Aubrey's harder and faster, until she was feeling her own waves of pleasure again and again, Aubrey still gripping tightly onto her until it was over. Gasping, Stacie brushed some hair out of her eyes and smiled down at Aubrey.

"Well Captain, who knew you had that in you?" she said with a laugh. Aubrey knew she was blushing and again was glad for the darkness. Getting off her lap, Stacie crawled up the bed and laid down next to her. Aubrey faced her, still in slight awe over what had just happened.

"That..." She stopped and shook her head. "I have no words" she said as she looked at her, not able to wipe the smile off her face.

Stacie couldn't help but laugh quietly. "Yeah I know how you feel." That had been more than just sex. She knew the next day she would wake and Aubrey would still be there, she wouldn't slip away sometime between her eyes closing and waking the next day. More than that though, it was far more than just physical. There was an emotional connection there too. Sure the orgasm had been amazing, no denying that, but now whatever fears she had about her and Aubrey seemed to have vanished. Leaning her head forward, she lightly kissed her, lightly as the two were still coming down off their orgasmic highs. Smiling she laid her head down and turned it so she could take one more look at Aubrey, the last image she would have before she fell asleep. Kissing her again, she whispered "you're the most beautiful thing I have ever and will ever see" she knew without looking that her face was flushed again, her eyes not looking at her. "So beautiful" she said and kissed her again.

"Don't sell yourself short" Aubrey finally said making Stacie shrug though she looked at her and saw nothing but pure love inside her eyes. She could have cried. This was what love was. A strange and new feeling but she couldn't deny it. The way Aubrey looked at her, her eyes didn't judge and they didn't say anything other than she cared, loved her, and wasn't going anywhere. "Hey" Aubrey said as she reached across, a finger brushing against tears. "What's wrong?" she asked, her eyes full of concern now.

Stacie shook her head and linked her hand with her. "It's not sad tears I promise. I just, I never thought I would have this. Have someone who cared about me this way." Aubrey instinctively squeezed her hand a bit tighter. "I never thought I would have someone who would be so good to me and you, Aubrey, well, you're everything I could have dreamed of and then some."

Aubrey knew her own tears were escaping by then but she didn't care. She leaned in and kissed Stacie once. "Ditto" she finally said amazed she still had a voice. The two laid back down, Stacie laying as close as she could to Aubrey.

"Don't leave" she said softly as she buried her head in the crook of her neck, just taking a minute to breathe her in. "Everyone leaves."

Aubrey kissed the top of her head, her arms wrapping around her tightly. "I'm not going anywhere. I swear" she whispered as she softly rubbed her back, not letting go, not wanting to. Never wanting to let go and knowing if she had it her way she would stay right there, lost in her arms forever.

 


	11. Everything is Changing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here it is: finals and the end of Chloe and Aubrey as students at Barden. With one letter, everything in the world of Staubrey is on a precarious edge. R&R thanks!

11: Everything is Changing

"Damn it Chloe! Give it!" an exasperated Beca sighs as she chases her girlfriend around the tiny dorm, just barley missing the corner of Aubrey's bed, her side hits the desk but she hardly feels it. Chloe just laughs and dangles the envelope above her head. Beca huffs and makes a futile dive for the letter, Chloe moving at the last second as Beca hits the bed.

Muttering under her breath, Beca gives chase again. Chloe almost wants to take pity on her but in truth is having too much fun with this new game. Finally though they both have to stop for a minute. "Oh come on. It's not like she'll care."

Beca is sure her jaw is on the ground for a second. "She won't care?! First she'll kill you for opening it then she'll kill me for letting you open it!" This makes Chloe laugh again, harder now. Scowling, Beca once more dives at Chloe and the chase is on again.

This is the chaotic scene that greets Aubrey when she opens the door. A wild haired Chloe rushing about, Beca giving chase, grumbling and threatening all the while which doesn't seem to have any affect on Chloe. It is only when she shuts the door does the running stop, both girls face her. Beca comes to her senses first and snatches the envelope from Chloe, thrusting it into Aubrey's hands. "Um...thanks" she says as she sits her books down on her bed, turning the envelope over so she can see who it's from.

And there on the envelope is what she has been moving towards since she could remember. Well, her father's dream at first, she eventually adopted it, seeing as it would be the only way she would be able to appease him. And now here it was. The ultimate pass or fail.

"Harvard."

"Harvard."

She looks to Chloe and takes a breath as she looks back to the letter. She feels Chloe's hand take her own but she still can't look up. She expects it to evaporate from her hands, slip away like water through her fingers. But it doesn't. It's firm and strong and real in her fingers. Taking a deep breath, she closes her eyes, nods once and raises a finger, slipping it inside the fold of the envelope before carefully opening it.

Here goes she thinks as she carefully takes the paper out, her fingers shaking slightly. This will either make my entire future...or leave me with nothing. There's a stillness in the room, a silence as everyone seems to hold their breaths. "Dear Miss Posen , I am pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the Harvard Class of 2012..." After that the words blur and the world seems to tilt off its axis.

Accepted.

She was going to Harvard. There's a cry of happiness from Chloe before she is hugging her tightly, Aubrey can barley return it. "I knew you could do it!" she exclaimed as she laughed, still hugging Aubrey tightly.

Aubrey just smiled and nodded. Finally, Chloe lets go though she grabs Aubrey's hand. "Congrats, Aubrey" Beca says as she makes her way closer to the duo. She just smiles and nods at her. Hard to believe at the beginning of the year the two could barley stand each other. And now, here she was, saying her congrats for Aubrey for getting into Harvard.

Sometimes life worked out in strange ways like that.

Feeling a bit light headed, she drops Chloe's hand. "I need to get some air" she mumbles before setting the letter on her bed. Before anyone can say anything else, she makes her way outside and to the quad. Sitting down she takes a deep breath and does her best to keep the entire world from spinning. It takes a few minutes, a few deep breaths, finally though she trusts her legs to stand.

Right then there is only one place she wants to be is the one place she feels safe. And as much as she loves Chloe, it's not with her. It doesn't take her long to get to Stacie's dorm, like her brain is programmed to just know where to go. She doesn't bother knocking, her hand immediately goes for the handle which turns and opens easily. Stepping inside, she shuts the door and locks it behind her.

Stacie looks up from her bed, where she has a book on her lap. "Aubrey?" she says, clearly surprised as she looks up. She stands from the bed and looks at her. "What are you..." She is cut off by a passionate kiss from Aubrey, her arms wrapping around Aubrey. Breaking it is she gasps and looks at Aubrey with confused eyes.

Before she can say anything, she is met with another hard kiss, Aubrey's fingers finding her zipper and button of her pants. Gasping, she breaks away again. "Don't" Aubrey says. "Don't say anything" she says as she undoes her button and zipper pushing her pants and underwear down. Stacie is quiet and just nods, kissing Aubrey again when she leans into her lips. "Take me" Aubrey whispers against her lips.

Stacie nods and lays down, pulling Aubrey on top of her. She has no idea what has overcome Aubrey but she doesn't care either. She kisses her back, until their lips are swollen, their lips, fingers, tongues seem to consume every last inch of each other until they are left groaning and moaning in the late afternoon Atlanta haze.

Sometime later, the two are wrapped in the sheets, Stacie cradling Aubrey close to her, clothes and books strewn about the floor. They don't speak, though Stacie is filled with concern and question for Aubrey's actions earlier. She runs her fingers down Aubrey's naked flesh, feeling her shiver a bit under her touch. "Are you alright?" she finally asks, breaking the silence that has settled between them.

In truth, she almost doesn't expect a response which is why is more than surprised when she gets one. "Yes." Another lull of silence before she speaks again. "I'm sorry for...ambushing you earlier" she finally says as she looks at her. Stacie half shrugs. Turning so she can see her, she says "I have no idea what came over me. I just...had to have you."

Stacie shushes her and gently runs a hand through her blonde hair, down her cheek. "I'm not going to knock sex" she said with a laugh, Aubrey blushing. "Especially amazing sex" she said as she kissed her once. Aubrey sighed and closed her eyes as she leaned into Stacie. Stacie just rubbed her back, until the blonde nodded off. Stacie was sure something was going on with Aubrey. She had no idea what. But she wasn't going to push her. When Aubrey was ready, she would tell Stacie what was bothering her.

In the meantime, all she could do was be there for her.

* * *

At long last, classes were out for the summer. Students were going wild, planning parties and insane summer getaways. The Bellas had their own plans, it would be the last night for them to be together before they departed for the summer. Together, they had managed to save up enough money to rent out a room in a local restaurant, complete with karaoke. Even though it was far from high class, almost everyone seemed to be in their best dressed for the night.

"You look great" Chloe whispered to Beca when they had a free moment with everyone's attention as Fat Amy did a rendition of "Time After Time" that was very loud and very off key. Beca smiled and squeezed Chloe's hand before they both turned their attention to the stage.

Next, almost everyone sang to "I Love Rock and Roll" laughing and enjoying their night, the pressures of school and the Bellas off for a while. From there the songs got even more random: from an over the top "Kryptonite" to a slower "Total Eclipse of the Heart" a sultry "I Touch Myself" in which Cynthia Rose made it perfectly clear who the song was meant for.

Just before the girls did their final number, Chloe stood up and took the mic. "All right ladies it has been a wonderful time singing and dancing with all of you" she stopped so everyone could cheer and whoop. "But the best thing that came out of this was meeting an amazing and wonderful person that I can safely deem as my soulmate." Quite whispers buzzed about the girls then. "Beca Mitchell, this is for you, my love, my life, my everything."

A quite chorus of "aws" fill the room now, all eyes turning to Beca who feels like she wants the world to open up and swallow her completely. She lowers herself as far as she can in her chair as the all too familiar beat of "My Girl" starts. Everyone else but Beca helps out, by the time the song is complete, she is just about on the floor. Sitting back up, she hisses "I'm going to kill you." Chloe simply laughs and kisses her once which Beca easily returns.

The girls end the night with the 80's classic "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and final farewells though everyone swears to stay in touch. It's no surprise to anyone when Beca and Chloe leave together, though it is sometime before Aubrey and Stacie get a minute alone. "I'm sorry if Cynthia Rose's song...bothered you" she says a bit carefully.

Aubrey can't deny that she felt a surge of jealousy hit her though she has no idea why. "No it didn't bother me too much" she says and shrugs as she looks at Stacie. She smiles and kisses her deeply.

"Good" she says as she opens the door to her dorm room. "But just in case you are not sure come on in. I'll show you just how much you shouldn't concern yourself with Cynthia Rose or anyone else stealing me away" she says with a smirk as she tugs her inside the door, kissing Aubrey again deeply as the door closes behind them.


	12. Anything Could Happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With classes over, the halls at Barden are emptying, and new challenges are approaching everyone

12: Anything Could Happen

A clap of thunder, a crack of lightning jars Stacie awake. Aubrey feels the movement and slowly feels for her hand. There had been talk of a coming storm for a while now, here it finally was. Only once Stacie clasps Aubrey's hand does she start to relax. "Relax babe" she says as she sits up. "Just a storm. It isn't supposed to last that long either" she says as another flash of lightning lights up the sky. Stacie ducks under the blankets and leans into Aubrey.

7:56. Aubrey knows it's daytime never mind the pitch black sky that on occasion lights up with more lightning. Aside from the thunder, the rest of the world is silent. Stacie leans into Aubrey, who keeps an arm wrapped around her. Eventually they both nod off, the next time they wake, the storm has finished, only a light sprinkle of rain is falling, a light haze is over the city. "I didn't know you were scared of storms" Aubrey says softly, looking down at her girlfriend.

"Long story" is all she'll say on the matter. Aubrey just nods and sits up in the bed, looking back at the clock for a second. Ten past ten. It doesn't really seem to matter. Classes are done, most of the students and faculty are more or less gone. For all intents and purposes, it may have as well be just the two of them at the school. In the world.

"What's on your mind?" she finally asks, looking at Aubrey. She has known that something has been bothering her since the day she came to her dorm unannounced. Something that was causing a rift between them. Stacie didn't want it and she was willing to bet Aubrey didn't either. Aubrey doesn't say anything. Nonetheless, Stacie is patient as she lays there, looking up at her. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

Twisting the blanket between her fingers, Aubrey sighs softly. There was only so long before she had to come clean about everything. "I...got accepted into Harvard" she finally says though she can't look at Stacie when she says it.

Stacie just smiles. "That's amazing" she says before kissing Aubrey once. "But I'm not the least bit surprised" she says and shrugs as she kisses her once more.

A lull of silence passes before Aubrey speaks again. "I'm not going." More silence this less out of awe more of just shock and disbelief.

"What...what do you mean you aren't going? This is Harvard Law we are talking about" Stacie says as she sits up looking at Aubrey. "You don't give that up for anyone or anything."

Aubrey knew this exact moment would come and she thought she would have known exactly what to say. But in that moment no words are coming to her, not at first. Once more, Stacie is quiet as she waits. "I..." She sighs and takes Stacie's hand in her own. "I'm not ready to let you go. I don't think I ever will be."

Stacie just smiled at Aubrey. "Who said anything about letting anyone go? I'm not letting go of you and you aren't letting go of me" she said simply, squeezing her hand gently. "You are going to go to Harvard, kick ass just like you did here, and come out ready to be a great lawyer."

Aubrey sighs. "You make it sound so simple."

"Because it is that simple" Stacie responds back.

"What about us?"

"We are going to be fine. If this is as real and strong as we believe it is right now, then no matter how far apart we are, we will make it. And we will be together when all of this is behind us. But the only way this will work, the only way we will work is if we believe."

"Believe?" Aubrey echoes as she looks at Stacie, almost in wonderment.

"Have faith in us. Believe in us. I may not believe in many things anymore, but you and me, us? I can believe in us until I'm taken from this life."

Aubrey smiled as she looked at Stacie. "I hope that time doesn't come soon" she said quietly as she leaned into her, breathing in deeply.

"Oh it won't" Stacie said softly. "I promise I'm not going anywhere for a long long long time. You're stuck with me Posen."

"Oh god. How terrible."

Laughter and soft kisses follow. "What now?" Aubrey questions. "What do we do...until..." she doesn't need to say anything else.

"We spend every second of the rest of the summer together."

"I like the sound of that."

"Me too."

* * *

As the trunk slams down, a little too hard for Beca's ears, the two take a step back. "You don't have to do this" Chloe says as she looks at her. "It's not too late to back out."

Rolling her eyes, Beca hauls her case, as carefully as she can, in the backseat and hops out standing next to Chloe. "Sounds like you are trying to get rid of me or at the very least keep me from meeting your family. What's wrong? Ashamed of me?"

Chloe feigns shock and hurt as she takes a step back. "Of course not. That's why we are taking this trip. So you can see where I'm from and what my family is like. Assuming they don't drive you away first" she adds with a sigh.

It's taking everything Beca has not to crack up. "That bad huh?" she asks as she makes her way closer to Chloe, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh the worst..." Chloe says with a smirk playing out on her lips. Smirking, Beca leans in and is met halfway, the kiss soft and gentle but nonetheless breathtaking.

"I still can't get over it!" The two quickly break apart as if someone has shocked them. Behind them is Fat Amy, Cynthia Rose, Lilly, Jessica and Ashley are behind them, getting ready to load up inside...the Barden Bus?

"Does Aubrey know you guys are...borrowing the bus?" Beca asks carefully.

"Oh no use trying to change the subject" Fat Amy says as she shakes her head and folds her arms as she faces the couple.

"Wasn't..." Shaking her head she says "what exactly are you doing with the bus?"

"Road trip! Well sort of, Fat Amy is going to take us home then bring the bus back here" Cynthia Rose clarifies.

"Oh."

"What?" Fat Amy asked as she loaded the last of the bags, turning to face them. "Think I can't drive?" From the stance she is clearly given Beca a come hither and she really doesn't want that. She has managed to avoid confrontation this long not like she wants to break it now.

"You were fine on the driving part it was the whole filling the gas tank you had an issue with" Beca says with a eye roll as she faced Fat Amy and the rest of the girls.

"I was hit by flying Mexican food! Big ass flying Mexican food too!" Fat Amy added as if for extra insurance waving her hands in the air for dramatic effects.

"I'll testify. I don't think anyone could have remembered something like filling a gas tank after getting hit by flying Mexican food" Cynthia Rose said followed by a shake of her head.

"The bus..." Chloe said as she looked at the bus then the gang of girls.

"Well, to be fair, Aubrey did graduate and even before that...she gave the pitch pipe to Beca..." Cynthia Rose said as she looked to the couple.

"What? Me? You want me to say if this is okay?" Beca said as she stared at them wide eyed as she looked to Chloe who just shrugged. "Thanks" she hissed but smiled nonetheless.

Chloe giggled as they faced the group of girls. "Well it doesn't really matter" said Fat Amy as she flashed the keys. "But it would be nice if you would say okay."

Throwing her arms in the air Beca said "you know what? I never saw you" and laughed as she shook her head turning around to make her point.

"Even better" Cynthia Rose said and Fat Amy nodded in agreement. With that settled, a final farewell was given. Just before she got on, Cynthia Rose turned and called out "and just where are you two lovebirds off to?"

Chloe and Beca faced her, then each other. Beca shrugged and nodded at Chloe. "Meeting her family." Startled, Cynthia Rose takes an involuntary step and catches herself.

"Wow. Don't waste anytime huh?" she says as she looks at the two.

Chloe shrugs. "No time like the present" she said and turned to face Beca. Beca couldn't help but return the smile as she wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist, the two sharing a deep kiss, neither one caring who saw.

"Ah young lesbian love. Been there" she said with a wistful sigh as she shakes her head. "Be careful!" she calls to the kissing duo before she walks on the bus. Less than two minutes later, it drives off Barden and heads west.

Breaking away from her lips but not her waist, Beca looks up at Chloe. "Are you sure about this?" she finally says, her eyes never breaking away from her.

Chloe doesn't hesitate nodding her head. "I'm sure" she said before kissing her again. "Let's get going. We have a long trip ahead of us" she says with a quiet laugh as she walks to the car, getting inside the driver's side, Beca climbing into the passenger side.

"Not that I don't trust you" she starts which is met with a quiet chuckle from the redhead, "but just where are we going?" Beca questions looking at her girlfriend.

Digging out her keys, Chloe starts the car and says "Indiana."

"Indiana" Beca echoes.

"Did I stutter?" Chloe says with a smirk, pecking her on the lips once before she backs out of the parking lot and starts for the open road.

 


	13. Come Along With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And here we go following Beca and Chloe to Indiana and Stacie and Aubrey to...Well I guess you will have to R&R!

13: Come Along With Me

In truth, it shouldn't have taken Chloe and Beca that long to have reached Chloe's hometown, a place called Goshen, Indiana. When Beca had given her a look that clearly said she had no idea where Goshen was or that it even existed, Chloe just smiled, kissed her once and said "I won't take offense. It's not that big" with a shrug before traffic started moving again.

Getting out of Atlanta had been the hardest part-seemed like the entire town was leaving at the same time. Brushing some sweat off the back of her neck, Beca had stuck her head out the window and looked both ways. Lines of traffic with barley any movement. Biting back a groan, she leaned into her seat. She flashed Chloe a look. She was calm and up-beat, as always, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel though it had nothing to do with being anxious. It was just Chloe being Chloe.

As the traffic moves at a snails' pace, Chloe finally breaks the silence by saying "so, is there anything you want to ask me about my family?"

Beca thought for a minute or so before asking "well what do you think I should know?"

Chloe shrugged. "Whatever you want to know. I will tell you whatever you want to know."

Beca decided to pick easy things to ask. "How many people are in your family? Or, I guess, at your home?"

"If my brother comes home, six, otherwise, five. My older brother, myself, my parents and the twins. They were total surprise babies" Chloe added with a chuckle and light shake of her head.

Wow Beca silently thought. That was way more than her family. It had always been her and her parents, then they divorced and her father remarried.

"So your parents are still married?" Beca ventured, looking at her girlfriend for a minute as she asked the question.

Chloe nodded. "Yep. Almost twenty seven years they have been married" she said followed by a shake of her head. Again Beca couldn't help but think of how different their lives were. Maybe that was made them perfect together.

Another lapse of silence as Beca thought of more questions to ask. By the time she had thought of more, they had put Barden in rear view and were heading for the freeway. "Who do you look like?" she finally asked, again looking at Chloe.

"My dad, hair, eyes, smile, you name it. My brother looks like my mom, but his hair isn't quite as dark, maybe a shade or two lighter than yours, and the twins..." She pursed her lips as she thought for a minute. Finally she just laughed. "I guess you will see."

Beca smiled and nodded. "Yeah guess I will." There was a nervous kick in her stomach, of course. And yet, looking at Chloe, she knew she had nothing to worry about. "How old is your brother?"

"Twenty-five, barley" she added. For a minute, the redhead thought before nodding. "Yeah he just turned twenty-five" she repeated and nodded again, the smile on her lips telling Beca that she was right.

"And the twins?" she finally ventured again wondering just why she was so tentative with her answers. Hadn't Chloe said she would answer her questions? And so far she had.

"Be nine in October" Chloe answered, looking over her shoulder as she made a left onto the freeway. Quite a difference Beca thought but didn't say out loud.

The first "detour" that Chloe insisted they make was in Nashville to see Graceland. When Beca said she had never been, Chloe had been baffled and made it her personal goal to show her the home and final resting place for one of the godfather's of music irregardless of how much Beca had insisted that they keep driving. Still, it was easy to see why it attracted so many people it truly was a magical, if somewhat bittersweet place.

By the time they had finished, both girls were tired and far from ready to hit the road again. "Relax Beca" Chloe said with a sigh as she pulled into the parking lot of a Denny's, following her girlfriend inside. "I never said exactly when I was going to be home" she pointed out as they were seated, Beca just rolling her eyes, Chloe just smiling and Beca having to return it.

Once their bellies were full with burgers, fries and milkshakes they started out for a local motel. Amazingly the first one they found had vacancies. After brushing their teeth and changing their clothes, Beca in shorts and a tank top, Chloe in light sweatpants and a t-shirt, they climbed into bed, Beca rolling into Chloe's arms like she had done so many times before. Neither said anything, just shared a gentle kiss before falling asleep wrapped up in each other.

The next day Beca was sure they would have made to Indiana. Ah but life had one more detour. It was early afternoon, close to one, the music was on softly, an eighties track about some guy wanting some girl but she belonged to another. It was another warm sticky day, both girls dressed in the coolest clothes they owned. Beca had been leaning her head against the window, doing her best to keep her eyes open but the quiet car ride and the warm sticky day was not helping. Any and all sleep was jarred away when she heard a loud gasp from the driver side. Her eyes snapping open, she looked at her and asked "what?" slightly dazed and confused.

"Look!" By then Beca was all too aware how easy it was for Chloe to get excited over the simplest of things. In this case, a carnival.

She was already shaking her head. "No Chloe" she said shaking her head as she spoke. "We are already behind by one day we can't afford to be behind another one."

Her words fell on deaf ears as Chloe made her way off the freeway and straight for the carnival. "Oh Beca come on and live a little!" Huffing Beca unbuckled herself and followed Chloe to the gates. The carnival was already teeming with people: harried parents chasing after young children, teens wandering around, some so focused on their cell phones they barley noticed when someone moved past them, couples ranging from young teens to older folk. And of course the smells: buttery popcorn, warm hotdogs, sweet cotton candy.

Chloe seemed about as happy and eager as a kid on Christmas morning. Which is probably why Beca gave in and let her drag around the entire carnival, playing what seemed to be every game and getting a taste of just about everything the carnival had to offer.

Finally though, shortly before five, Beca was starting to grow weary and was ready to go. But Chloe saw the ferris wheel before Beca did. "No! No! No!" Now Beca had turned into one of those kids trying to get away from her parents.

Chloe wasn't giving in though. "Come on Beca!" she said as she tugged the smaller girl closer and closer to the Ferris Wheel and held onto her hand tightly as they stood in line. Still it wasn't for lack of trying in getting away from her all to no avail. Finally, and too soon, they were next in line. For a second, Beca didn't think she could walk. But Chloe made her walk, slowly and they sat, the attendant shutting the metal bar to hold them back with a heavy clang.

Beca's eyes were shut tightly, one hand clutching Chloe's so tightly the knuckles turned white, the other she held at a fist at her side, making a fist and contracting it over and over again. Slowly, the ride started up and Beca bit her lip hard. Eventually she felt Chloe wrap an arm around her shoulders but she refused to let go of her hand or open her eyes. Chloe didn't speak. Didn't say anything. Just kep her free arm around Beca, the other hand she let her grip as tightly as she needed to.

Finally, the wheel safely landed and Beca couldn't have gotten off faster. Chloe quickly caught up to her and for a minute Beca didn't acknowledge her. Just as they were walking to the front of the gate did Beca let Chloe take her hand.

Neither girl spoke as they got inside the car, Chloe once more starting to drive. Again, they had to stop, grabbing some food from a drive-thru before finding a place to call it a night. More silence as they ate their food, the tv turned to some comedy show that had a never-ending laugh track.

Once they were finished, Beca stood up from the bed and started to strip for bed. Chloe stood as well and carefully wrapped an arm around Beca's waist. "I'm sorry about earlier" she said softly, carefully running her nails up and down her sides, Beca unable to fight off the shivers that went up and down her spine.

Beca shrugs once. "Nothing to be sorry for" she simply says and takes a step forward, Chloe catching her hand gently. She turns and faces her, a quizzical look on her face. Before she can say anything Chloe's lips are on her own, her arms pulling her close before she pushed Beca to the bed, easily straddling her. "What are you doing?" Beca finally asks when she has her breath back.

Chloe smirks at her. "Saying sorry" she said and silenced her with a deep kiss. Beca stops talking and just lets Chloe kiss her. Even after what happened at the carnival, she forgives her. And she imagines she always will. Sometime later, the two crawl under the covers, Beca once more slipping into Chloe's arms. It's so easy, so warm, safe and comfortable. Which is why it's so easy for Beca to close her eyes and fall asleep, listening to the steady breathing of Chloe as she too slips off to sleep.

* * *

"You almost ready?" Stacie calls out to Aubrey as she sticks her head inside the dorm room. It's pretty much empty, just the last of Aubrey's things on the floor. Aubrey comes out of the closet and hauls the last of it up and over her shoulder as she walks outside and gets it inside the trunk. She does one more thorough look over before deciding she has gathered everything she will need or want. It's so strange to see the room so empty after four years of her and Chloe making it their own. And now it will be someone else's she thinks as she pulls the door shut.

She walks out to the car and slides inside the passenger side, Satcie already in the driver side, the car started and idle for a minute. "Ready?" Stacie asked facing the blonde for a minute.

Aubrey nods. "Ready" she says back as a statement and not a question. Stacie grins and puts the car into drive, carefully backing out and starting for the road. By now, most of Barden is empty, she sees a few cars scattered here and there but figures most belong to teachers and the few stragglers that stuck around.

For a while, there is silence between the two, the music is on softly. Finally, Aubrey asks "so, are you going to tell me where we are going or am I supposed to guess?" She hopes it comes off teasing and light but she has no idea. Trying to be a "lighter" version of herself isn't easy. But Stacie doesn't seem to mind and for that she is grateful.

"Not that far actually" Stacie says. "But no I'm not saying" she says and laughs when she sees Aubrey pouting. It's one of the sexiest things about Aubrey although that list is quite long. It's more like what doesn't she find sexy about her? Glancing at her as she looks at the window she can't come up with anything.

Not a damn thing. She is that perfect.

"Are we staying in the state?" Aubrey asks finally, looking from the window to Stacie. The two are dressed for summer: Stacie in low jeans shorts and a loose shirt with a plunging neckline, sandals on her feet; Aubrey in a skirt and blouse, simple plain tennis shoes on her feet. Still, just looking at Stacie makes Aubrey feel warm and funny inside. Still, she doesn't mind it.

"Nope but like I said we aren't going that far. Promise." She smiled and reached for Aubrey's hand. "Right now, all you need to do is sit there and relax. Let me do all the work." Aubrey has nothing to say to this so she shrugs and nods once.

Aubrey leans forward a bit and sees that the stereo has a jack for an Ipod. "Fancy" she says and nods a bit. Stacie follows her gaze and shrugs once.

"Guess so. A girlfriend of mine had her brother install the stereo after my old one died" she said, carefully pulling onto the freeway.

Aubrey can tell from the direction that Stacie is driving that they are headed north. Still she doesn't say anything, just does her best to relax. She has never been one to just give the reins to someone else, to let someone else have total control. And yet it's getting a bit easier time with Stacie. Part of her is relieved in a way too. Being captain of the Barden Bellas had been great but stressful and one of many reasons why she was so tightly wound. Still Stacie had a way of disarming her and the more she did the more Aubrey liked it.

Eventually they passed into North Carolina. Again, Aubrey didn't say anything and neither did Stacie though she did sneak a peek at the other girl to see how she was doing. "Hang in there Bree. Almost there" she says as once more they are on the freeway though for a much shorter time. After hopping off the freeway, Stacie drives for about five miles before pulling into a gas station. "Come on" Stacie said, opening the door. "If you need or want something, now is the time to get it" she added as they walked to the door and inside, a quiet bell above their heads ringing out as they entered.

A quiet whistle from behind the counter startles Aubrey but Stacie hardly looks up. "Well well. Stacie Conrad. Been a while." Stacie chukles and gives her head a shake as she walks to the front of the store.

"Hey there Tommy" she says as she leans against the counter. "Bet you never thought you'd find me back here huh?" she says, a light smirk playing on her lips as she looks at him.

Feeling a bit out of sorts, Aubrey does her best to stay hidden in the narrow aisles, her eyes still watching and wondering just what history these two have.

The man chuckles. "Oh now. I knew you would be back. You always come back."

Stacie laughed again and shook her head before she started down an aisle, hardly paying any mind to what she grabbed. "Something's never change"she remarked as she finished and found Aubrey down the next aisle. She flashed her a grin and Aubrey returned it. Taking her hand, Stacie walked to the front of the store again, setting down their things.

Tommy doesn't say anything, just rings them out, rattling off the price. Stacie shoos Aubrey's hand out of her purse and lays down some money. Tommy bags their items and Stacie grabs the bags, giving Tommy a faint smirk as she links her free hand with Aubrey's.

Once Stacie loads their purchases in the backseat, they get in and once more are on their way. For a few minutes, neither girl speaks. Finally though, Aubrey has to ask. "So, that guy back there..."

"Tommy O'Hara" Stacie says. "And no nothing ever happened between us. I think he was scared of my dad which is smart of him actually" she says with a low chuckle and shake of her head.

"You come out here a lot?" Aubrey guesses.

Stacie nods as she takes a fork and slowly civilization starts to disappear. "Every summer since I was a kid and sometimes winter holidays" she answers as the smooth road gives way to dirt and rocks, the ride turning bumpy and jittery. The road turns into another fork, Stacie takes it to the right and follows a simple dirt path for a few miles until they reach it. A small cabin, a wrap-around porch around it, two rocking chairs on either side of the front door, wooden shutters over the window cutting off any and all light. "Here we are" Stacie says and grins as she gets out of the car, Aubrey slowly getting out as well as she looks around. "So...?"

"I'm expecting a Disney cartoon to come out singing or something" she finally says. Stacie just laughs and shakes her head as she fumbles with her keys, muttering until she finds the right one, unlocking the door with a heavy thud.

"Wow" she says and steps back for a second. "Gotta air this place out" she says and goes about unlocking the shutters and sliding the windows open, then propping the door open. "You can look around" she calls out to Aubrey. "You won't get lost it's a big circle" she says as she hauls their things inside.

Aubrey nods and does a quick once over. Tall trees and bushes line the area and she can hear small animals scurrying about. "Beautiful" she tells Stacie when she comes back to the cabin.

Stacie grins and kisses her. "Compared to you, hardly" she says making the blonde blush. "But I'm glad you think so. This is my favorite place on Earth. And now I get to share it with you."

Aubrey just smiles. "I'm glad you did" she said and smiled against Stacie's lips.

 


	14. Little Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we go: Beca's about to meet Chloe's family while Aubrey and Stacie both learn a little something about each other's pasts

14: Little Paradise

As Beca learned the following day, Goshen was very small. She was pretty sure Chloe showed her the entire town in a very short time. She couldn't deny the nerves she had knowing that she was very close to getting to meet Chloe's family. As if Chloe knew, she reached over and took Beca's hand. "Relax Beca. I promise everything is going to be fine."

Beca faced her and gave the best smile she could muster. "I'm holding you to that" she said and playfully punched the redhead's shoulder, the two laughing as Chloe carefully turned into a neighborhood. So this was it. This was the neighborhood where Chloe had grown up. Where she had ridden her bike and gone trick-or-treating. It seemed so...small and normal. Beca had no idea how someone like Chloe, with her exuberant take on life had been raised her. It didn't seem as if such a place could contain her spirit. Taking a breath, she asked "so, exactly what did you tell your parents?"

Chloe thought for a minute as she made a right, more houses, most single stories, some two stories mixed in as well. "I told them that I was bringing back the most important person in my life. Someone that I love as much as any of them and I hoped they would accept her and us."

Beca could feel a blush rising and she was glad Chloe was busy driving and not looking at her. "You said...her? And us?" she finally managed, daring a look out of the corner of her eye.

Chloe nodded. "I did. I have nothing to hide from my family." She made a hard turn and pulled into a driveway. The house was a two-story, the driveway smooth and even, the two car-garage was shut, a basketball hoop hanging from the top. Lots of windows, both up-stairs and down-stairs, all had curtains, some wide open, some closed. The front door was red, not shockingly so, almost a lighter shade of cherry. The house outside was white, the trimmings on the windows painted brown as well as around the rest of the house. Trees and plants were to the left of the front door, grass that needed a trim soon lined it all.

It all seemed so...normal. Again she just couldn't grasp how such a place had been where Chloe was raised. Chloe faced Beca as she shut off the car and took her hand. "Beca, I love you and I know we are meant to be together. I know it's crazy but I can't and won't deny how I feel. I know you're scared but believe me my family is going to accept you and us. They will if they want me in their lives." She nodded once and carefully kissed Beca once.

Beca had nothing to say just gave a soft smile and nodded before she kissed her back. She really didn't want to come between Chloe and her family but Chloe seemed to have such confidence that it was slowly starting to put Beca at an ease. "Ready" she finally said as she got out, meeting Chloe at the front of the car, taking her hand and squeezing it tightly but gently. Chloe flashed her a grin.

Before either could make a move to the door, it was flung open and two little forms, maybe no higher than Beca's waist came barreling out the front door, happy laughter and cries of "Chlo!" ringing out. Chloe laughed and Beca let her hand drop as they ran into Chloe who easily leaned down to hug them. Finally Chloe stood up and looked at the children, ruffling both their hair as she did so. "Gosh I think you guys got even bigger since the last time I saw you!"

The twins, both with light brown hair and hazel eyes just laughed and shook their heads. The door opened again and a young guy that Beca assumed was Chloe's brother came out, a grin a mile wide. They laughed and hugged each other tightly. When it broke, Chloe said "Beca, this is my big brother, Roger" she said who bowed and took Beca's left hand, softly kissing it once. "Sorry. He's a bit of a Romeo" Chloe said with a laugh and nudged him with her hip. He shrugged and Beca ducked her head a bit, her face a bit red. "And these are the twins, James and Sarah" Chloe said nodding to them. They smiled shyly and Beca returned it.

She took a step back and took in the three siblings. Roger was clearly the oldest and tallest, his hair a tad bit lighter than Beca's, as Chloe had said, his eyes a light green with specks of brown in them. He was dressed in tan shorts and a white collared shirt, tennis shoes on his feet. He had dimples when he smiled and a perfect jaw. James was dressed in denim jeans and a black Transformers t-shirt, black tennis shoes on his feet. He had a lopsided grin and hair that would not stay neat, always did some of it seem to be out of place. His twin had on a pale blue dress and sandals, they had the same hair and eyes, Sarah's hair longer though, nearly to her waist, James's short, it kicked up a bit in the back.

"Hey" Beca finally said, pulling on what she hoped was a good smile as she faced them. Chloe's family. Even though they didn't look anything alike, she could tell that this was a family that was close. "Um thanks for having me."

A loud voice spoke from behind them. "Oh no! Thank you for coming!" Everyone jumped, turning to see the voice that had spoken. Standing outside the front door was a tall, lean man with red hair and shocking blue eyes. And when he smiled, Beca knew that Chloe had been right. She was the spitting image of her father and then some.

"Daddy" Chloe said as she smiled at her, making his way closer. They embraced and again Beca had to look away, almost like an invasion of privacy if she watched. "So Beca this is my dad" she said and laughed softly. "I'm sure you knew that though."

Beca nodded. "Yes I kind of figured from the way you described him" she said and nodded again as she faced the man again.

"Tall dark and handsome?" he said making Chloe laugh and Beca couldn't help but grin. Yep it wasn't just the looks that they were the same. They seemed to have the same sense of humor to them as well.

"Yeah exactly" Beca said and snapped her fingers nodding. "That was exactly it and I can see she told the truth." There's a moment of pause before Chloe and her dad laugh.

"I like you already" he said and popped the trunk, starting to help with the bags. Of course Beca grabbed the case with her equipment and Chloe and her dad lugged the bags inside, the twins and Roger following.

Woah is the first thought that hits Beca when she steps inside. She knew it was big from the outside but to be inside is a whole other story. Upon first entering, you are greeted by a massive glass chandiler, under it sits a table that looks like something out of King Arthur's time, and to the left of it, a staircase, but not just any staircase, oh no. This one spirals, like something you would see in a fantasy movie like Harry Potter. The downstairs is painted a soft cream colored shade, the very top of the ceiling is painted a light blue and it surprisingly suits the cream colored well.

Chloe turns and smiles at her girlfriend. "Come on" she says as she grabs her hand and stops her so they are looking down a fairly narrow hallway to the left. "Down that way is the laundry room, Roger's room, and that door at the very end goes to the garage." Double doors that lead to the front yard are on the opposite side of the laundry room. Chloe waits a second before giving a gentle pull at Beca's hand.

"Sorry" she says and Chloe just flashes her a smile. "It's pretty big. Much bigger than I was expecting" she says as she gives the hallway one more glance before Chloe leads her down the right of it. To the right of where they enter, a kitchen, fairly standard with a bar wrapping around one end, four bar stools surround it. A table, this one round with six chairs around it, was off to the side, windows surrounded it, all with the curtains open, the late afternoon sunlight still shining through. Further down the wall, just past the last of the windows, were two double glass doors, identical to the ones down the left of the hallway, only bigger. The backyard was mostly grass, a huge treehouse in the middle of it, up closer to the house was concrete, a grill with a tarp over it, a table and chairs, a fire pit in the middle.

"Who built the treehouse?" Beca asked as she turned to find Chloe and her dad. It was truly a work of art if one could consider treehouses a work of art. It had stairs, a deck that wrapped around the entire thing, windows made of actual glass, and then way up at the very top, if one dare, a built in periscope.

"Ah why thank you" Chloe's dad said, taking a bow as he looked at the girls, Chloe just shaking her head as she took Beca's hand again. "I was an architect, once upon a time ago" he said and nodded, wisps of his hair falling over his eyes, he pushed them out of his eyes muttering "need a trim" as he sat down at the table.

"Did you do the layout for this house...um..." Beca bit her lip, suddenly realizing that she didn't have a name yet. " Mr. Beale? ..." she said a bit tentatively.

He winced. "Ouch. Makes me sound so old" he said as he shook his head. Beca could feel a blush rising but before she could apologize he said "please Richard, Rich, Ritchie. Anything but Mr. Beale. And yes I did draw up the plans for this house long time ago."

Before Beca could respond, a loud crash from up-stairs startled her, though Chloe didn't seem phased and her dad just sighed as he stood up. Seconds later, a door opened and a loud screech of "daddy! Jamie won't get out of MY room!" a heavy emphasis on the word my.

"It's still my room!"

"No it's not!"

With a sigh and shake of his head, Richard started for the stairs, muttering as he did so, though he chuckled and after letting her eyes take in the room one more time, Beca let Chloe take her to the stairs and then up them. Since they weren't exactly "normal" stairs Beca held on tightly to Chloe's hand but she didn't seem to mind, even giving a reassuring squeeze half-way up.

Upon reaching the landing, the up-stairs breaks off into two directions, one short, one long. Nodding to the short direction Chloe said "down there is a closet, my mom's study, and the master bedroom aka mom and dad's room." Turning on her heel she says "and this is as it's so affectionately called, the kid's hallway." Another crash, a howl behind a closed door and the voice of a father trying to calm it down. "Right. So, that was the twins room, apparently now it's just Sarah's" Chloe said with a half shrug that makes Beca chuckle softly. "And across from it is their bathroom, another closet, my room," she says as they keep walking. "And back on this side, two more guest bedrooms, one was Roger's, clearly it's now Jamie's, and a bathroom." She stops and looks at Beca. "So, you ready to run yet?"

Beca laughed. "See. I knew that's what this was. You just brought me up here to scare me off and so far it's not working."

Chloe laughs as she leans into Beca a bit, she seems a bit unsure and would take a step back but Chloe won't allow it. "Well good. I'd hate it if my plan actually worked" she teased and leaned in a bit, again, Beca taking a step back. Chloe stopped her and said "it's okay" She hesitates for a second before she nods and leans in a bit closer, Chloe meeting her halfway, softly she kissed her. It seemed like every kiss was better than the one before and Beca knew she would never get used to the tingly feeling that crept down her spine when it happened. "So" she finally said as she opened the door. "That is your room. I will let you get settled in" she said as she smiled at Beca who smiled back. "I'll be in my room if you need me."

Beca nodded and stepped inside the room just as Chloe's dad came out of the kid's bedroom. He smiled at Chloe who returned it and walked inside her bedroom, starting to unpack from her suitcase. She didn't have to turn to know he had entered her room. For a minute, neither speak. Finally, Chloe breaks the silence by saying "so...?"

He shrugged. "Chlo, so long as you are happy that is all I care about. And, if you love her as much as you say you do, I know I'm going to as well." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"And what did you tell the twins?"

"I told them that people loved in all kinds of ways, that the way I loved your mother was different from the way I love them but that it was all equal. I then told them that sometimes boys liked boys, sometimes girls liked girls, but that it was all equal so long as they loved each other. I told them that you were bringing home your girlfriend, that you two were in a relationship like your brother and Tanya's relationship and that they were going to be as respectful and good as when they came home last year."

Chloe was quiet for a minute as she continued sorting through her things, her brow furrowed as if in deep concentration. Finally she smiled and hugged her dad. "Thank you. Thank you for everything."

He hugged her tightly and sighed softly. "Anything for you Chlo. You're my girl" he said as he rocked her in his arms for a minute before letting her go.

* * *

Aubrey hadn't really learned much about the cabin, just that it had been owned by Stacie's uncle for quite some time. The cabin itself was relatively small, two bedrooms, a kitchen with a small stove and microwave, a bathroom, and the living room area. Despite all of this, the cabin itself was very homey and she could understand how someone could enjoy being there. It was like escaping from the hustle and bustle of a big city.

While she may have not learned much, the first day she did learn how much Stacie liked to swim. After they had hauled their bags inside, Stacie had grabbed Aubrey's hand and led her down a small dirt path for about half a mile. It stopped at a dock that led to a lake. Neither of them were in their suits but she didn't seem to care-she jumped right in and for a minute, Aubrey, shell-shocked-had just stood at the dock before finally joining her. Aubrey had gotten out but Stacie had stayed in well past dark until finally, only after Aubrey had pleaded and insisted did she get out.

They spent the next morning playing a board game after breakfast before heading back to the lake, this time with towels, sunscreen and their suits. After a while, even Stacie had to get out, the two laying on their bellies as the sun warmed their skin. "So, what's the story?" Aubrey asked as she blinked against the sun, turning her head so she could see Stacie.

"What story is that?" she asked in a quiet hum, her eyes closed as she reluctantly opened them so she could see Aubrey.

"What about...this place. You said it was your uncle's? How did it become yours?"

Stacie is quiet for a minute before she says "my uncle, uncle Ben, was my dad's brother. Older by maybe ten years or so. He was kind of the black sheep of the family, he and my dad didn't exactly see eye to eye on, well, anything. He hated the city, hated it with a passion, cursed everything from pollution to crime to politics" she said which for some reason made the two laugh softly. Stacie took a minute before continuing. "Anyways, after another blow up with my dad, he declared he was going to live off the land and that's what he did. He packed up, scouted land, found this place, paid for it, built the cabin and lived out here until he couldn't take care of himself anymore."

There's a long pause after that, neither girl speak for so long Aubrey is certain that the other girl has nodded off. Finally she hears "even though my dad and uncle didn't get along, my uncle was very much a family man and he wanted to be around when his brother had kids. And he doted on us like crazy" she said smiling as she spoke. "It was my mother's idea to let us come out here during the summer. This was where I learned to swim. Right here." She smiled as she sat up, one arm keeping her propped up as she looked out at the water. Aubrey sits up as well, resting on her knees, she follows her gaze and reaches for her hand.

"Sounds nice" she says, sitting up so she can wrap an arm around her waist. Stacie leans back inside her arm, letting it cradle her. They lapse into another bout of silence, the sounds of mother nature the only ones for miles around. It was no wonder her uncle had picked such a place if he truly hated the city. This place was the exact opposite.

"Okay. Your turn." Aubrey raises an eyebrow as she looks at Stacie. "Come on. Spill with your own story." She shifts against her arm so she can better see her.

Aubrey sighs but nods once. "Well, my father was in the military, just like his entire family. I lost count of how many generations there were...My mother was a "Southern Belle" as they say, met my father at some debutante ball, apparently she wasn't interested in him but he wouldn't take no for an answer."

Stacie snorts. "Oh so that's where your stubborn self comes from" she says followed by a laugh and a nudge to her side. She smiles and kisses Aubrey once. "Go on" she says with a nod and gesture of her hand that says continue.

Aubrey shrugged. "They dated, about two years, married, moved to Connecticut, less than a year later, they had my oldest brother, two more boys, then me. I was a total surprise baby, even the doctors were surprised when I came to be." She shrugged and turned her gaze back out to the water.

Stacie nods and looks at her for a minute before she sits up and jumps into the water. It's a shock to her system at first but she adjusts quickly. Aubrey lays back down, watching Stacie as she keeps swimming. She nods off at some point, the warm sun and swimming from earlier doing her in. When she wakes, Stacie is laying next to her, also asleep, her hand has taken Aubrey's. She lightly kisses it, making Stacie stir but she stays asleep. She doesn't lapse back into sleep. Instead, she stays awake and for the billionth time wonders just what she did to deserve someone like Stacie.

And wonders just when she's going to wake up and find her gone. Like everyone and everything good in her life.

 


	15. Runs In The Family

A less than normal dinner conversation at the Beale house and more learned about Stacie and Aubrey. Not much else to tell, just R&R and of course enjoy

15: Runs In The Family

The sun is finally starting to set, finally the heat is subsiding. The entire Beale family, minus Chloe's mother, is out back, the twins are in the treehouse, Richard is at the grill, Chloe and Beca sit on the chairs, a small table between them as they play cards. And Roger is doing laps in one of the two pools that run along each side of the house, they are not big or deep, but that is not their purpose. They were made specifically for Roger to train and as such he is a swimmer at Michigan State.

The Beale family is far from the only one that is outside. All around them it seems, there's people grilling, kids laughing and playing, the splashing of water as people swim, screen doors open and close, adults yell over their kids and tell them to shut up, trying to listen to games on the radio.

Again, the normalcy of it all hits Beca hard. She had always wondered what it was like, living in a nice, simple, suburban neighborhood. And now she knows. It's everything she had thought it would be and then some.

As Richard grills, he entertains the girls of stories, stories that Chloe barley pays any attention to, no doubt because she has heard them so many times before. The double doors open and a voice says "oh Richard don't tell me you are boring our guest with your stories." The door startles Beca but she quickly gathers herself as she turns to face the voice. She is tall, just under six feet, her hair is dark brown, Beca can't really tell if her eyes are brown or green, the lighting isn't very bright. Still, she stands and pulls on what she hopes is a bright smile. "I'm Nancy Beale, pleasure to meet you." She holds out her hand and Beca shakes it. It's a firm grip, she can tell that she means business.

"Hello, I'm Beca Mitchell" she responds and lets her hand go after a minute. She is dressed in a pant suit and Beca feels terribly underdressed. Chloe's mother smiles though it seems tight and almost forced.

"Well, if you'll excuse me. I've been ready to get out of these clothes since I put them on" she says and walks back inside, disappearing around the corner and up the stairs.

"My stories are not boring" Beca hears Richard say. Chloe just shakes her head, smiling softly as she looks at Beca. She reaches for her hand and smiles at her. Even without saying anything Beca knows exactly what she is saying. But that hand on hers is far more comforting than any words could ever be and somehow Chloe knows.

She just knows.

As he grills, Richard hums a song and after a minute, Chloe picks it up and hums as well. It clicks in with Beca's memory quickly: "Let It Be", the Beatles. Chloe and Beca continue their card game, one that Beca is losing quite badly at, the twins play in the treehouse, Roger does his laps. Roughly twenty or so minutes later, Beca jumps as Chloe's dad bellows out "ten minutes troops!" Roger gets out of the pool and dries off quickly, Richard pulling him to the side. "Please don't let the twins carry anything that can break" he says to which Roger silently nods as he walks inside, still drying off somewhat. The twins had climbed down from the treehouse and were making a mad dash to the back door, scrambling to get inside.

Chloe stands and when Beca starts to rise as well, she is met with a quick no-no gesture and she sits back down. "Just sit" she says as she walks in the house behind her siblings. Chloe's dad has brought a massive folding table out and carefully sets it up. Roger returns first, carrying two pitchers, one with lemonade, lemon slices inside it, the other sweet tea, something Beca is quite familiar with after being at Barden. He set them down and opens the door as Chloe steps outside, carefully balancing a tray with several cups on it, five glass, two plastic. Next the twins come out, right behind each other, carrying throwaway plates and plastic utensils that they place around the table. Chloe stands at the door, carrying a big bowl of potato salad, flashes Beca a smile and finally steps back to let Roger pass, his hands full with bowls of both macaroni salad and coleslaw. The twins make their retreat back inside though looking around the table Beca wonders what could be missing.

She has her answer less than sixty seconds later: James (who prefers Jamie) carries a fairly large plastic plate with lettuce, tomato slices, onions and pickles, Sarah carries the condiments (ketchup, mustard, Mayo, etc) and Roger keeps the door open so they can get outside and to the table without dropping anything. It's quite an impressive show when Beca looks at the table before her.

"Nicely done troops" Richard says and gives a half salute. Only the twins return it, Chloe just shakes her head as she sits down at a chair, one of seven her dad had set up after getting the table up, Roger goes back inside. "All right" he says as he walks to the grill and comes back with a plate full of hamburgers and hot dogs "who wants what?" Jamie wanted a hamburger (of which he was only getting half to start with since they were big) and in, "typical twin fashion" according to their dad, Sarah wanted a hot dog. "And I believe our guest of honor wanted a burger?" he said when he had split a burger for James and given Sarah a hot dog. Beca nodded a bit as he laid a burger down in front of her before moving onto Chloe.

Roger and Nancy come out at the same time, Roger letting his mother go first, following behind her. He's traded in his trunks for cutoff denim shorts and a white tank top. Nancy too has changed the pant suit she was wearing gone, now replaced by a simple skirt and blouse. They sit down and Richard gives them both a steak before sitting down himself.

"Dig in" Richard says and slowly everyone starts to dish out side dishes, Roger pouring drinks for the twins since no one trusts them to not make a mess. Once more Beca takes a minute to just watch. Watch as the twins try and talk over each other in competition for their mother's attention, she chides them for it, Richard just laughs and shakes his head. Roger and Richard do their best to talk about his swimming stats over the twins who have quieted some though not all the way. The only one being quiet is Chloe and when Beca dares a glance she sees she's been watching her. She blushes and starts to work on making her burger, Chloe does the same.

Things quiet down for a bit, the twins still chattering on about their day, their mom doing her best to follow the stories though Beca can tell she's fairly lost more than once. Eventually, either because the twins have lost their interest in their stories or because they had finished, they decided to turn their attention to Beca and Chloe.

Beca had known this was coming long before she had arrived with Chloe. She hadn't thought she was ready then and as she faced the twins and the rest of Chloe's family she knew she wasn't ready right then. Well, ready or not...

"How did you two meet?" Richard asks, looking up as he finishes a bite of steak. Easy enough Beca thinks though her brain falters.

"At the activities fair, Aubrey and I were out trying to get recruits for the Bellas and there she was." Beca could recall that day so well, it was forever imprinted in her mind as a memory that she wouldn't forget.

"Did she want to join?" he asked before taking another bite of his steak. A quick and subtle glance tells Beca that the only person who's not paying full attention to the two is Roger. He looks up often enough but the twins and Chloe's parents are truly engaged with the conversation.

"Ah no not at first" Beca admitted and shook her head before she took a swallow of lemonade. Chloe laughed softly. "But she uh...was very persuasive" she finally said as she tried to get the memory of the shower incident out of her mind. Granted, it's another favorite memory with Chloe but not one that needs to be shared with anyone else she thinks. Least of all her family.

Richard laughs and shoots his daughter a wink. "Sounds like our Chloe" he says as he reaches to ruffle her hair. She doesn't do anything to stop him, just laughs and sticks her tongue out at him.

Beca smiles and nods before starting to eat again. A fairly relative silence lapses at the table the first one so far. But as Beca was going to learn, such silences in the Beale household were rare and didn't last long. Case in point.

"Where are you from?" James asked after swallowing a bite of hamburger.

"Colorado, Denver" Beca quickly specified. There were some nods and another lapse of silence as everyone kept eating.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" asked his twin.

Beca shook her head. "Nope. Just me" she said. The twins shared a look, everyone else was eating, before they too continued eating.

"Sounds lonely." She shrugged a bit. Beca had always been a loner and having no siblings she had never really thought of her life as lonely. Looking around, she could understand how the twins would have thought so.

Mama Beale decided to take over asking questions and Beca had an unease around the woman that she could not shake. "So, Beca, what do your parents do?" The question was simple enough but that unease was not something Beca could shake.

"My dad is a professor, at Barden, actually" she said followed by a low chuckle though she wasn't entirely sure why she was laughing. "And my mom is a nurse."

Richard grins. "That's what our Chloe wants to be" he said beaming as he looked at his daughter who returned the smile. "But I'm sure you knew that."

Beca nodded. "Yep" she said and looked at Chloe, the smile making her return one of her own. Though they were still rare they tended to happen more around Chloe. "Except Chloe has one specific field my mother doesn't." More nods and mumbles.

The silence is once more broken by the twins. "Are you and Chloe going to get married?" Chloe raises an eyebrow to Beca who looks to her plate.

"James" snaps his mother.

He looks up. "What?" he says with the innocence of a child only his age is allowed to have and turns back to the girls. "I mean they are together and all."

There's a moment of silence which Beca takes to look at the family as discreetly as possible. Richard doesn't seem too phased, Sarah is looking at James, smiling slightly, Roger's eyes are wearily drifting from James and his mother. And of course mom...she has her eyes narrowed on James in dangerous slits. Shivering, Beca looks back to the plate and hopes someone will break the silence and soon.

"Well, Jamie, I'm not sure what the future has in store for us..." Chloe begins her eyes flicking to Beca and then to her brother. "All I can say on that matter is who knows" she said. "But as long as I have Beca I'm happy. And as long as she's happy with me that's what counts."

Roger shakes his head. "And you call me the romantic" he says making Chloe roll her eyes but smile slightly as she looks to Beca. Beca is still looking at the plate, her cheeks a light pink. She's in awe everyday that she has someone like Chloe.

"What about kids?" James asks. There's a thump and Beca doesn't have to look to know that the sound belonged to . "What?" he asked again just as innocently as before. "Chloe always said she wanted kids."

None of this surprised Beca-Chloe was on her way to being a pediatric nurse and the way she talked about the twins before they had arrived had given Beca a pretty good idea that she had wanted kids at some point. Well Chloe she thought the ball is in your court.

Again, she doesn't miss a beat. "That hasn't changed James" she started, James looking at her curiously. "I can still have everything I wanted before I met Beca. None of my dreams have to change" she said simply.

Beca had to admit it was a pretty good comeback. James twisted the fork in his hand as he looked at his sister still, almost like he was trying to come up with something else to ask. Finally he shrugged and went back to eating. Beca let the silent sigh out and did the same.

"How?"

Chloe looks at her brother and repeats "how what?"

"How would you have kids?"

"James Beale" says his mother. He looks to her then to his sister. "It's just a question" he said, his shoulders shrugging as he looks at Chloe still.

"Well...there are ways" Chloe says carefully. "Adoption, obviously. And if Beca and I wanted to have our own biological children there are ways to make it happen. But that's not proper dinner talk" she said and waved her fork playfully at her brother who grinned.

Dinner turns silent again, only forks scraping plates. Beca is glad, the questions had been mostly answered by Chloe but she had felt anxious as if they were directed at her as well. In essence they were. She also didn't want to face off against Mama Beale again. Round one had been more than enough that was for sure.

And then just when it seemed like everyone was eased up, James decided to ask one more question. "How do you guys have sex?"

The uproar was instantaneous and hilarious when looked back on: Roger had barley been able to hold back his drink, soon as he swallowed, he couldn't stop laughing, accompanied by hiccups, his father was standing, quickly starting to clean, his mother's face was as red as Chloe's hair and she had murder written in her eyes. "Roger stop laughing!" she snapped glaring at him.

"I'm...trying..." he managed but was followed by more giggles and hiccups as he stood to follow his dad inside, carrying his plate and cup.

"James Richard Beale" she continued her voice still stern and dangerous. He turned his attention to her. "We do not...talk about such things...and I don't ever want to hear such filth come from you. Understood?"

Mother and son had an intense staring contest before James shrugged and hoped off his chair and into the house, his twin right behind him. His mother seemed to be getting a grip on herself though Beca was sure her hands were still a bit shaky. Finally she stood. "You'll have to excuse James. He's never been one to keep his thoughts to himself." Chloe looked like she wanted to say something but thought better of it. Gathering her plate, she turned and left the two girls sitting at the table soon.

There's a beat before Chloe says "well welcome to Beale dinners" she said looking at Beca who for a minute can't look at her. Finally though she looks at her. Chloe gently takes her hand. "It's okay. Trust me these things happen especially here" she said. Beca nodded a bit and pulled on what she hoped was a bright enough smile. "So you ready to bolt?"

Beca laughed. "So that is why you brought me here. You just want to get rid of me." Chloe rolled her eyes and leaned in, kissing her gently. "Nope not getting rid of me that easily."

Chloe grinned. "Good" she said before kissing her again.

* * *

 

"Come on Aubrey! Just once more!" Aubrey has her arms folded, looking at Stacie in the lake still as she had been all day. The sun was about an hour away from setting and she was more than ready to go inside. "Just one more time. For me." Aubrey huffed but nodded once. Stacie grinned and motioned her in.

The water is a shock and for a minute Aubrey is lost, feeling nothing and then everything. Stacie smiles and Aubrey returns it. She swims closer, one arm wrapping around the blonde's neck. She does nothing to stop her, leaning in to meet her for a deep kiss. It's easier now, about as easy as breathing. And far more satisfying.

She pulls away and swims to the dock, pulling herself up. Aubrey is so wrapped up in the kiss it takes her a minute to realize why she's suddenly cold. "Damn it Stacie! Give me my top!" Laughing Stacie waves the top of Aubrey's bathing suit and grins at her. Aubrey scowls and makes her way to the dock, doing her best to keep herself covered.

"I don't think there's anyone out here to see your goods" Stacie says before cracking up again, the suit still in her hands. Aubrey is practically seething by now.

"Give. Me. My. Top."

"Come and get it."

Aubrey sighs when Stacie starts to back up heading off the dock and back to the cabin. She curses under her breath before taking a quick look around. It was empty. She hauls herself out and quickly wraps the towel around herself. "Give it." Stacie shakes her head and takes off down the path. More swearing as Aubrey chases her to the cabin. She can't find her but her top is in the kitchen. Muttering, Aubrey drops the towel and grabs it. Since she's already half undressed she heads to the bathroom to shower and change.

An hour or so later, the two are seated on the couch, Stacie's head in Aubrey's lap, her fingers running through her hair. Staying mad had been impossible. One look into those eyes and she was gone. Again.

"Tell me about you" Stacie said her eyes looking up to find hers. There's a pause, Aubrey biting her lip as she thinks for a minute.

"What do you want to know?" she asks finally.

Stacie shrugs. "I don't know. Were you always such a hard-ass?"

Aubrey can't help but sigh softly. "Would you believe me if I said no?" Stacie just nods and leans up to peck her lips once. "I told you my dad's side is big on the military. My dad was a hard man, on all of us kids, and when he had me, a girl, he just didn't know what to do. So he was as hard on me as he was on my brothers, possibly even moreso since I was a girl." Shrugging she said "being tough is just part of the Posen way. Okay. Your turn."

Stacie grins. "Let's see. Literally the opposite of your life. Middle of six-all girls." She laughed at the look on Aubrey's face. "My dad really wanted a boy and my mom drew the line at six" she said with a nod of her head. "Just wasn't meant to be. But we had a normal childhood overall, school, occasional vacation, bar-b-ques on the Fourth. Normal stuff." Reaching up she playfully tapped Aubrey's nose. "And I asked about you not your family."

Aubrey sighed. Contrary to popular belief, she was not big on talking about herself. In fact, she considered the subject matter beyond dull and the last thing she wanted was to bore her girlfriend. "I don't know what to talk about" she finally says with an exasperated sigh and shrug.

"It's not hard babe" Stacie said as she looked up at her. "We'll start with something easy...what's your favorite color?"

For a minute, Aubrey just looked at her before saying "green. You?"

"Blue. Were you always so good in school Law?"

Aubrey looked down and shook her head. "No. I was pretty bad at math I needed help for quite a few years" she said. "And are you..."

"As dumb as I look? No. I learned that playing dumb was what people expected of me couldn't be smart and good looking. Guys didn't like it."

"So you played dumb for guys..."

"I know. Stupid."

"Hey no" Aubrey said as she reached for her hand. "I can understand. But you shouldn't change who you are for anyone. If they don't like you for you, screw them."

"So I'm no rocket scientist but I'm not as dumb as you probably think I am."

"Do me a favor? Don't dumb yourself down. Please. The world should know the real you not a dumbed down version of you. The real Stacie Conrad."

"Deal" Stacie said, her smile making Aubrey smile back. "Law? Was it always law?"

Aubrey nodded. "Pretty much. It's always been a Posen tradition I guess you could say" she said. "My middle brother's a lawyer and now I'll be a lawyer so two out of four kids not a total bust."

"What about your other brothers?"

Aubrey hesitated a minute. "My youngest brother was the opposite of my father, sensitive and gentle. He refused to enlist, my father called him unpatriotic and threw him out." She stopped and waited a minute again. "He went to UCLA and is now teaching there" she said. Waiting a minute, she continued "and my oldest brother was killed in Afghanistan."

She hears the almost inaudible gasp. She's used to it which is why she doesn't mention it. She hates the pity and the sympathy. "I'm sorry Bree." Aubrey just nodded a bit and did her best to keep her tears to herself.

"What about you?" she says quickly wanting to divert the attention elsewhere. "What do you want to be when you finish school?"

Now it was Stacie's turn to hesitate. "I'm not sure. I was one of those kids that changed their career choice often" she said with a laugh. "One day I wanted to be a vet, then a doctor, then a dancer and so on."

"I could see you being a dancer. You obviously had some form of training before you came to Barden."

Stacie smiled. "The joke is that I was dancing before I was walking. Dance has always been a part of my life, I have a decent voice, hello aca-pella." The two laughed, a mixture of husky and deep and light and breathy. "I don't know much outside of dancing really."

Aubrey nodded, one hand still running through Stacie's hair, the other still holding her hand. "Well you could always be a dance instructor, at a school or have your own studio" Aubrey offered. "Whatever you do I'm sure you will be the best at it."

"Well well-who knew Aubrey Posen has such a soft side" Stacie said and smiled at her.

"I do not I'm just not the total monster everyone thinks I am. And you don't have to try and convince me otherwise. I know me. I know I have that insane drive to win."

"Well look at it this way-you'll make one hell of a lawyer" Stacie said which made the two laugh again before Stacie sat up and lightly kissed Aubrey. "I know I would hate to be on the other side of you in a court room." She craned her neck to look at her. "Don't tell me-prosecutor?"

Aubrey nodded. "Yep criminal law."

Stacie shivered. "Yikes. Like putting away killers and rapists and drug addicts?" she said her eyes traveling up to find Aubrey's. "Aren't you scared? Sounds dangerous."

Aubrey nodded again. "Yep that's what I'm doing. And yes it can be dangerous but I just can't focus on that. What I need to focus on is getting through Harvard and then on with my career."

"Do you have anywhere specific you want to practice law?"

"No not yet. From the research I have done, apparently Chicago is one of, if not, the best place to practice law."

"Chicago. Like the Richard Gere movie?"

Aubrey smiles a bit. "Yes like the Richard Gere movie."

"Oh. Yeah if crime is anything like what's in the movie then I can see it being a logical choice." Aubrey just smiles and runs her fingers through her hair, Stacie sighing softly. "That feels really good" she says letting her eyes close.

"I'm glad" Aubrey says and keeps gently running her fingers through her hair. Another almost inaudible sigh from Stacie.

"Keep it up you will put me to sleep" she said her eyes staying closed as she shifted a bit on the couch, Aubrey repositioning herself to keep up her work.

"That's okay. Just sleep" she said softly, her fingers gently running through every strand of her raven-colored hair. "We had a heck of a day."

"Mhm" Stacie mumbles, her eyes opening, easily finding Aubrey's. "I can't decide what's better-waking up next to you or falling asleep next to you."

Aubrey grinned. "Trust me. The feeling is mutual" she said before leaning down to kiss her girlfriend deeply. "And it always will be."


	16. I Want Your (Hands On Me)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut. That’s all this chapter is just lovely Bechloe and Staubrey smut. Enjoy this is the last chapter before the story turns darker.

~~~~

16: I Want Your (Hands On Me)

With a sigh, Beca locked the bathroom door and slid out of her bathrobe, hanging it up just outside the shower curtain. It was day four at the Beale household and so far things had been going good. She wasn't sure why she was surprised by this but she was. Shaking her head, she turns the shower on and waits until it's steamed the bathroom mirror before stepping inside, pulling the curtain behind her.

After adjusting the water until it was just the right temperature, she closed her eyes and leaned into the warm water. The house was empty, a first since she had arrived. Not that it bothered her, it was just new, people coming and going. Letting the water run down her body, her eyes still closed she softly started to sing. "You shout it out, but I can't hear a word you say. I'm talking loud, not saying much. I'm criticized but all your bullets ricochet. You shoot me down but I get up." Beca fumbles for the shampoo and is about to start in on the chorus when the curtain is yanked back. Letting out a startled yell she nearly falls but catches herself on one of the bars.

Chloe grins at her. "Oh my god!" She glares at her and says "I thought you were gone! And just how did you get in here?!"

Chloe just grins more. "I was gone and now I'm back." Laughing, she slips out of her bathrobe, Beca unable to keep her eyes from wandering her body as she does so. "The lock is easy to pick." Beca groans and shakes her head though by then it's too late, Chloe slips inside the shower, still grinning at her. "Why did you stop singing?" she asks one arm snaking around Beca's waist. She does nothing to stop her, almost like she can't.

Shaking her head, Beca huffs before grumbling "what can I say I was distracted..." She sucks in a breath as she takes in Chloe again. It's not the first time, far from it, but she can't deny the girl is always and will always be breathtaking. "And caught off guard and...have you always stalked people in the shower or is it just me this happens to?"

Chloe laughs again. "No my dear Beca you are the only person I deem worthy of shower stalking" she says before chuckling more when Beca rolls her eyes. "Now did you forget the words? Need some help? Some inspiration maybe?"

Chloe's fingers trail her body, Beca's eyes closing, a silent sigh escaping her lips. "I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose." Chloe's fingers against her skin is feather soft, running a line down her middle, then back up again, and again. "Fire away, fire away. Ricochet, you take your aim. Fire away, fire away. You shoot me down but I won't fall." Chloe joins her suddenly, her fingers softly playing along Beca's things. "I am titanium. You shoot me down but I won't fall. I am titanium." The last word follows a quiet gasp from Beca as Chloe's lips are on her neck, softly kissing and sucking, nipping at it gently as her hands spread Beca's legs, done unconsciously as Beca leans back to grip the bar behind her.

Her breath catches and she closes her eyes, the words coming out slower now. "Cut me down. But it's you who'll have further to fall." Gone are words as Chloe's fingers tease her, just barley brushing above her, her lips back at Beca's neck as she softly thrusts them inside her. Continuing proves to be a challenge, but she gets the end of the verse out. "Ghost town and haunted love. Raise your voice, sticks and stones may break my bones. I'm talking loud not saying much."

Chloe's head sits up as she looks at Beca, eyes closed, lips parted slightly, a quiet sound escaping them. "This song really builds" she whispers in her ear, before breaking away to kiss her lips. It was meant to be one quick kiss but Beca surprises her by kissing her back, deep and intensely. She doesn't fight it, just lets herself give into it. Breaking away Chloe takes over singing, her fingers still buried inside her girlfriend. "I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose. Fire away, fire away. Ricochet, you take your aim. Fire away, fire away. You shoot me down but I won't fall. I am titanium. You shoot me down but I won't fall. I am titanium. I am titanium. I am titanium."

Stopping to catch her breath and steady Beca as much as she could, Chloe also takes a minute to listen.

Silence.

Still just the two of them.

Finally able to breathe again, Beca begins again. "Stone-heart, machine gun. Firing at the ones who run. Stone heart loves bulletproof glass." Chloe had pulled her fingers out almost all the way, just the tips remained inside her. Part torture, part pleasure.

Together, their voices meld together as they finish the song. "You shoot me down but I won't fall. I am titanium. You shoot me down but I won't fall. I am titanium. You shoot me down but I won't fall. I am titanium. You shoot me down but I won't fall. I am titanium. I am titanium." Chloe once more pushes her fingers inside Beca and she grips the bar so tightly, hoping it's mounted in well. She's so close, her breathing ragged now, so close... Finally, it hits like a million tidal waves that seem to fall all at the same time, one after another. She barley gasps once before Chloe's lips crash down on Beca's, the gasps, groans and moans meeting and mixing inside Chloe's mouth. A final sigh escapes Beca as it subsides, her body going lax in Chloe's embrace.

Just when Beca has her breath back, she lets out another gasp as Chloe pulled her fingers out of her, slowly but a sensation of warmth spread through her, nonetheless. Feeling as if she had run a marathon, she is still catching her breath which hitches again when she watches as Chloe gently licks her fingers clean of Beca's juices. "Very tasty Mitchell" she says with a smirk before she kisses her deeply, Beca's face a lovely shade of red all the while.

As the kiss breaks, their foreheads resting against one another's, Beca's breathing starting to finally steady. Looking into Chloe's eyes she says "I am many things but titanium is not one of them. Least of all around you."

Chloe just grinned and lightly pecked her lips once. "Well don't worry" she said softly, her arms still wrapped around her. "I'll never let you fall."

Beca chuckles, almost inaudible. "Holding you to that." Chloe waits until Beca has her legs back before she carefully steps back and reaches for the extra towel. "Seriously?"

Chloe smirks. "Don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to make it up to me" she promises as she steps out of the shower and after a quick pat down with the towel she dons her robe, listening, again, hearing nothing. "Hope you enjoy the rest of your shower" she says before opening the door, swiftly closing it, though she catches a dry laugh from Beca, a tiny smile forming on her lips as she heads to her room to change.

* * *

Time didn't seem to matter in the cabin. Days seemed to bleed into one another, the sun rising and setting the only tell-tale that time was indeed moving. Aubrey didn't mind being away from the rest of the world, hidden almost.

Just her and Stacie. If she could have stayed this way forever she would have.

Aubrey had woken first, beating the sun. Stacie slept on, Aubrey choosing to lay there and watch her. When she begins to stir does she finally tear her eyes away, watching from the corner of her eye as she her eyes slowly open. Her eyes find Aubrey making her smile, Aubrey returning it. It's a reflex almost and one she doesn't mind.

Before Aubrey can say or do anything, Stacie climbs on her, straddling her, pinning the blonde's hands behind her. "Be honest-have you ever considered that you might be a nymphomaniac?" she asks, making Stacie laugh. "What?! Not that I'm complaining..."

"Sure did sound like it" Stacie said with pout as she rolled off Aubrey. Catching her wrist, Aubrey sits up and kisses her, Stacie returning it as she sits on the bed, her arms wrapping around Aubrey, pulling them closer together.

Stacie had wondered what have happened when she let Aubrey take over. She had been given the option, but always did she let Stacie take the reigns.

But not then.

Stacie lets her pull her down onto the bed, Aubrey now on top. "Took you long enough" she says as she lays on her back looking up at Aubrey. "Come on captain. Do your worst" she says.

Aubrey hesitates for a minute, thinking about what her next move should be. Sex had been beyond a foreign concept before Stacie. She hoped she had learned enough. "Don't think. Just relax and it will come to you."

Easy for you to say she silently thinks. She takes a deep breath and looks down, Stacie is watching her, curious and slightly amused. Leaning down, her lips meet Stacie's, harder than she had done before. Stacie is thrown but she doesn't mind. "That all you got?" she teases, her lips a mere inch from Aubrey's.

"Don't move" she says as she rolls off Stacie, digging through her bag. Stacie watches, again amused and curious as to what she could be looking for. She bites her lip when the blonde finally stands up, a vibrator in her hand. "Not a word" she says as she climbs back on top of her. Stacie nods and zips her lips as she looks at her, smiling all the while.

Aubrey sets the toy down and once more kisses Stacie, softer now, her hands caressing Stacie's breasts. She isn't sure if she trusts herself be as intimate with her as Stacie has been with her. For that matter she doesn't know if she can use her toy. Using it just with herself, that was one thing, always had she been alone, always had she been sure she would not be interrupted. This was a new one, one she had gotten just for the two of them.

Stacie's eyes fluttered open and closed as Aubrey kissed her, barley able to return the gesture. She knows Aubrey is trying and she wants to help. But for now she'll let her take the lead and see how she does. So far, so good. Her body is relaxing then tensing, feeling her lips on hers, Aubrey's hands at her breasts, caressing and rubbing them. "Doing good" she says and nods at Aubrey. Nodding back, Aubrey kisses her again and continues for a few minutes before she slips one hand down Stacie's middle and then parts her legs, again, hesitating. "It's okay" Stacie says. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"I want to" Aubrey answers back, her fingers now just outside Stacie's folds. Taking a breath, saying a silent prayer that she doesn't do anything wrong, before she carefully pushes a finger inside her, hesitating before she gently eases it in deeper. She's quiet as she watches Stacie, listening and watching, making sure she isn't doing something wrong.

From the way her body responds she continues to stroke inside her, even adding another finger. Stacie's back arches and she grips the bed underneath her. Aubrey's confidence grows and she strokes and rubs inside her harder and faster, finding that sensitive part which she focuses on. "Fuck!" Stacie groans, her chest heaving as she feels herself getting closer and closer to the point of no return...When Aubrey stops and pulls her fingers out. "What...you can't be..." She stops talking when she feels the tip of the vibrator inside her, just barley. Biting her lip, she lays down and does her best to stay still.

This proves to be impossible as Aubrey starts it out nice and slow, before starting to increase the speed, and this time when she's right at the brink, Aubrey doesn't pull back and Stacie is unable to stay quiet or still as she feels herself orgasm several times over before the vibrator is slowly pulled out. "Fuck" is all she can manage, doing her best to catch her breath. "Well captain I guess you showed me" she said, Aubrey shyly looking away as gets up to clean off the toy. "Come here. It's not fair that I'm the only one that gets to have fun today."

Aubrey laughs. "Oh I think you and I have had plenty of fun lately" she says over her shoulder as she sets the toy down and begins to make her way out of the room but is stopped when an arm wraps around her waist. "Someone is being greedy."

"No! Someone wants to say thank you. That was a very very nice way to start my day" Stacie says as she softly pulls Aubrey against her body. "Don't make this difficult."

"You know who you are talking to right?"

"Fair point" she says with a nod, a kiss placed at the blonde's temple. To both of their surprise, Aubrey lets Staice led her back to the bed, where the two spent most of the morning, repeating the morning's exercise several times over.


End file.
